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Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos attend the opening night of "Sunset BLVD" at St James Theater on October 20, 2024 in New York City.© Getty Images

Jeff Bezos faces disappointment on 61st birthday with Lauren Sánchez by his side

The former Amazon CEO founded space tech company Blue Origin in 2000

Ahad Sanwari
Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
January 13, 2025
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Jeff Bezos' 61st birthday on January 12 was set to be a marquee one for the tech giant, as came on the eve of a new milestone with his space technology company, Blue Origin.

Blue Origin's new heavy-lift launch vehicle, New Glenn, named after famed astronaut John Glenn, was scheduled for take off in the wee hours of Monday, January 13, paving the way for the company to compete against Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Design work on the rocket began back in early 2012, and it was officially announced to the public in 2016. The full vehicle was finally unveiled in February 2024 and scheduled for a Q1 2025 launch.

WATCH: Inside Jeff Bezos & fiancée Lauren Sánchez's blended family

However, a timer and livestream for the launch was set in the late hours of January 12, and the time for launch kept getting delayed further and further, finally set at 3:15 AM EST.

Due to technical issues, though, the launch was eventually canceled. Minutes before the launch was slated to take place, Blue Origin shared on X: "We want to be clear about our objectives. This is our first flight and we've prepared rigorously for it." 

"But no amount of ground testing or mission simulations is a replacement for flying this rocket. Our key objective today is to reach orbit safely. Anything beyond that is icing on the cake. We know landing the booster on our first try offshore in the Atlantic is ambitious — but we're going for it. No matter what happens, we'll learn, refine, and apply that knowledge to our next launch."

The Blue Origin New Glenn rocket sits on the launch pad ahead of its maiden flight at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on January 11, 2025. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' company Blue Origin is poised to launch its first orbital rocket, marking a pivotal moment in the commercial space race currently dominated by Elon Musk's SpaceX. The new 322-feet-tall rocket (98 meters) is hauling the company's Blue Ring spacecraft, which capable of both hosting and deploying multiple payloads. It is named after pioneering NASA astronaut and former Senator John Glenn, who was the first US astronaut to orbit Earth in 1962. The New Glenn features a reusable upper stage, designed for a minimum of 25 flights.© Getty Images
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket was slated for a January 13 launch

Six minutes before launch time, however, it was announced that the launch would be canceled, with Blue Origin sharing: "We're standing down on today's launch attempt to troubleshoot a vehicle subsystem issue that will take us beyond our launch window. We're reviewing opportunities for our next launch attempt."

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Days before the launch, Jeff took to his own X page with a photograph of the rocket's thrusters, excitedly penning: "Leave before launch." His fiancée Lauren Sánchez has been by his side throughout the process.

Jeff Bezos along with his brother Mark Bezos, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, and 82-year-old Wally Funk leave Blue Originâs New Shepard crew capsule after landing on July 20, 2021 in Van Horn, Texas. Mr. Bezos and the crew rode in the first human spaceflight for the company© Getty Images
Lauren has been a major supporter of her fiancé through his work with Blue Origin

The former journalist has spoken often of her desire to commandeer an all-female crew aboard one of her partner's space vehicles, the New Shepard, and cheered him on when the launch date for New Glenn was announced on social media as well. Her debut children's book released last year, The Fly Who Flew to Space, is also inspired by Jeff's space adventures.

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She previously told Good Day LA of her upcoming voyage to space: "Women are explorers, too! Jeff always tells me that he's like, you know, you're an explorer. So I'm excited to take all these women out."

Blue Origin New Glenn rocket sits at Launch Complex 36 after its scheduled early morning launch was cancelled at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on January 13 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The long-delayed inaugural uncrewed NG-1 mission would help pave the way for the Jeff Bezos-founded space company to compete against Elon Musk's SpaceX.© Getty Images
After several delays, the launch was canceled. A new date has not yet been announced

She originally teased that the launch would happen in 2024, and planned to announce her fellow astronauts in the months leading up to it. As of writing, an official launch date has not yet been revealed.

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Lauren also gushed to People: "I'm extremely excited. We haven't announced the date yet, but it will be this year. And we'll start announcing my fellow astronauts in the coming months."

Lauren Sanchez during an appearance on "Good Day New York" to promote her new book, "The Fly Who Flew to Space" on September 12, 2024 in New York City© Getty images
"Women are explorers, too! Jeff always tells me that he's like, you know, you're an explorer."

She added: "I haven't really thought about it too much, but once we get closer to the actual date I might feel a little more nervous. But I know it's really safe and I think it's going to be an incredible adventure."

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