Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has been grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following a launch mishap on Sunday where a AST SpaceMobile satellite was delivered to an orbit lower than planned. This failure has resulted in the loss of the satellite payload. The grounding means future New Glenn launches are on hold until the FAA approves the findings and corrective actions from Blue Origin's investigation into the incident. The rocket's upper stage failed to achieve the target orbit, with preliminary data suggesting a reduction in thrust from one of its BE-3U engines during a critical burn.
The FAA is overseeing the investigation, which will determine the root cause of the failure and when New Glenn can resume flight operations. This incident marks the third flight for the New Glenn rocket, and it is the second time the vehicle has faced a grounding. The reusable first-stage booster of the rocket successfully returned to its landing pad, a positive note amidst the payload delivery failure. The intended orbit was approximately 285 miles, but telemetry data indicates the satellite reached only a 95-mile orbit, which is unsustainable.
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This setback impacts Blue Origin's ambitious plans, which included a goal of a dozen New Glenn launches this year as part of its TerraWave project, aiming to deploy thousands of satellites into low-earth orbit. The failure also represents a significant blow to AST SpaceMobile, the customer whose satellite was lost. The New Glenn rocket is also slated to play a role in NASA's Artemis program, with NASA relying on it to launch Blue Moon lunar landers.
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Investigation and Oversight
The FAA has classified the event as a "mishap" and is actively involved in Blue Origin's internal investigation. This oversight is standard procedure to "enhance public safety, determine the root cause of the event and identify corrective actions to avoid it from happening again." The agency will review Blue Origin's final report, including any proposed changes, before clearing New Glenn for future launches. A previous grounding of New Glenn after an earlier incident lasted for two and a half months.
Context of Operations
The failed launch occurred from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday. While the successful booster recovery is noted, the core mission objective of delivering the satellite to its intended orbit was not met. Blue Origin has not yet released detailed technical data concerning the specific malfunction of the upper stage. The grounding underscores the inherent risks and complexities of space launches, even for established companies like Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos.
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