WASHINGTON - In a stunning display of detective work that would make Sherlock Holmes jealous, Blue Origin has finally pinpointed the culprit behind its New Glenn rocket's dramatic self-destruction during a May static-fire test: a valve. Not just any valve, mind you, but a liquid oxygen valve in one of the BE-4 engines. The same engine that powers United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur, because apparently one company's misfortune is another's potential headache.

Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp delivered this revelation in an Aug. 5 social media statement, breaking the silence that has hung over the investigation since the May 28 explosion, which not only destroyed a rocket but also left the launch pad looking like a very expensive crime scene. "The anomaly originated at the main oxygen valve on one of the BE-4 engines, which was later confirmed by hardware recovery and inspections," Limp said, presumably while holding a magnifying glass to a tiny piece of metal. "Extensive component-level and engine hotfire tests have been conducted to understand the failure mode better and inform mitigations."

Because nothing says 'we're on top of this' like a good old-fashioned fault tree analysis, Limp remained tight-lipped on the exact nature of the valve's tantrum, but assured everyone that it can be fixed. "We're making small modifications to the valve that can be quickly retrofitted to existing engines," he said, adding that the updated hardware will be ready by the end of this month. Because nothing says 'quick retrofit' like a redesigned component in the middle of an investigation.

Meanwhile, United Launch Alliance is left to ponder whether its Vulcan rocket might also suffer from a case of valve-itis. Vulcan hasn't flown since February, when it experienced a totally unrelated anomaly with one of its solid rocket boosters, provided by Northrop Grumman. Because why have one problem when you can have two? The rocket did manage to complete its mission, but the investigation into that little hiccup continues. Northrop Grumman, in a July 21 earnings call, announced it had taken "corrective actions" with the GEM 63XL motor, including a component redesign verified in ground testing. The redesigned motors are expected to start delivering "by the end of the year," which, in rocket time, could mean anything from December to never.

ULA has yet to announce a return-to-flight date for Vulcan, even for configurations that don't rely on the solid rocket motors, and they're not saying how the BE-4 investigation might throw a wrench into those plans. But hey, at least Blue Origin is sticking to its ambitious goal of rebuilding Launch Complex 36 and getting New Glenn back in the air by year's end. Because rebuilding a pad that was severely damaged in an explosion is exactly the kind of thing you can do on a tight schedule, especially when you're also redesigning valves and conducting hotfire tests.

Limp didn't offer a schedule update when discussing the BE-4 investigation, but let's face it: if history is any guide, 'by the end of this year' is just a polite way of saying 'sometime in the next decade.' But hey, we're all for optimism. After all, what could possibly go wrong with a valve?