Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is grounded after failed satellite launch
AP News • • business
Key Points:
- Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket experienced a failed launch due to an upper stage engine underperforming, resulting in a satellite being placed in the wrong orbit and ultimately doomed.
- The first-stage booster successfully landed on an ocean barge, but the upper stage failed to deliver the satellite to its intended high orbit.
- The satellite was intended to join AST SpaceMobile’s network for direct space-to-smartphone communication.
- Launches of the New Glenn rocket are paused pending an investigation by Blue Origin and the FAA.
- New Glenn, a key asset for NASA’s Artemis moon program, is in competition with SpaceX’s Starship for lunar missions scheduled as early as 2028.
