FAA grounds Blue Origin New Glenn after labeling mission a ‘mishap’
Orlando Sentinel • • business
Key Points:
- The FAA has grounded Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket after its third mission failed to place the BlueBird 7 satellite into the correct orbit, requiring an investigation before further flights.
- The rocket’s booster successfully landed for the second time, marking a milestone for reusable technology, but the upper stage engine failed to perform the second burn needed to raise the satellite’s orbit.
- AST SpaceMobile confirmed the satellite was deployed at too low an altitude to become operational and must be deorbited, with the loss expected to be covered by insurance.
- The FAA’s investigation aims to determine the root cause of the mishap and ensure public safety before clearing New Glenn for future launches, with timelines for such probes varying from weeks to months.
- Blue Origin had planned multiple launches this year, including a lunar lander mission, but the grounding delays these ambitions amid growing demand from customers like Amazon for satellite deployments.
