Blue Origin rebuilds launch pad as Relativity targets Mars

Blue Origin has begun reconstruction of Launch Complex 36 at Kennedy Space Center, replacing the damaged flame-trench, upgrading the service tower, and installing new umbilical connections, with an operational target set for late 2027 [Ars Technica]. This rebuild follows a 2024 pad incident that cost the company an estimated $200 million in delayed payloads.

Relativity Space's Terran 3 launch vehicle will be engineered for trans-Mars injection, with a goal to fly its first Mars-bound payload by 2029 [Ars Technica]. The company plans to leverage its in-house 3D-printed engine architecture to keep mass-to-orbit efficiency high. The Terran 3 payload-to-LEO goal is 120 tonnes.

A French launch startup, SpaceVenture, is dropping the name “Ariane” for its small-sat launcher after a trademark challenge from the European space agency's commercial arm [Ars Technica]. The rebranding will be completed by the end of the quarter, and the legal dispute will not affect its scheduled 2027 test flight.

The rebuild of Launch Complex 36 and Relativity's Mars target signal a shift in the launch industry. Blue Origin's investment in launch-pad durability and Relativity's push for deep-space capability suggest a bifurcation in the industry. Companies that can marry robust ground infrastructure with vehicles that can reach beyond Earth's orbit may be the winners. For example, a hardened launch pad like the rebuilt Launch Complex 36 can prevent setbacks like the 2024 incident, keeping vehicles like the New Glenn on track for their first orbital flights [Ars Technica].