Blue Origin reusable rocket - rivalling SpaceX - called off before launch

Blue Origin, the space company owned by the billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has postponed the launch of a new reusable rocket because of a technical issue.

The rocket, named New Glenn, had been due to blast off from Florida and had already been delayed several times.

Posting on social media, Blue Origin said: "We're standing down on today's launch attempt to troubleshoot a vehicle subsystem issue that will take us beyond our launch window."

The rocket is now being drained of fuel before another launch is scheduled. "We're reviewing opportunities for our next launch attempt," the company said.