The countdown clock has now been pushed back to 35 minutes with a new estimated launch time of 7.03am.

In a post on X, Blue Origin says the “unplanned hold” and subsequent pushback is due to a “wayward boat”.

This can be a common problem for rockets. Safety officials need all nearby vessels to evacuate in case the rocket fails during launch.

“There’s a boat that’s mistakenly entered the cleared area, we’re going to have to clear that boat out,” said Blue Origin’s Ariane Cornell.

“It will take us some time here.”