The rocket originally planned by NASA for a lunar mission exploded on a launch pad last Thursday evening, potentially jeopardizing Trump's ambitious vision of sending American astronauts back to the Moon and establishing a lunar base before 2028. This is also a major setback for Jeff Bezos' space company, Blue Origin, which is striving to challenge Elon Musk's SpaceX in developing a rocket capable of transporting cargo and humans into orbit and beyond. The damage caused by this explosion, along with the destruction inflicted on the company’s sole launch site, may require several months to repair. Blue Origin had originally scheduled a key lunar mission this year using its New Glenn rocket, but it is now almost certain to be delayed.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866587815471115/
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