Blue Origin Offers an Explanation for Its Embarrassing Satellite Mishap
Gizmodo • • business
Key Points:
- Blue Origin’s third New Glenn launch successfully landed its booster but failed to deliver the AST SpaceMobile Bluebird 7 satellite to the correct orbit due to a thrust anomaly in the upper stage’s second burn.
- The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded New Glenn pending an investigation, with CEO Dave Limp attributing the issue to insufficient thrust from one of the BE-3U engines.
- The misplacement rendered the satellite inoperable, leading AST SpaceMobile to declare it lost and plan its de-orbit, though the company still aims for frequent launches in 2026 using multiple providers.
- Despite the setback, the booster’s successful reuse marks a key milestone for Blue Origin’s heavy-lift rocket and its goal of rapid reusability to support commercial customers.
- The incident raises questions about New Glenn’s reliability ahead of critical missions this year, including the Blue Moon lunar lander demonstration and a major Amazon satellite deployment, though NASA remains confident in Blue Origin’s progress.
