Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Places Satellite in Incorrect Orbit During Third Launch

Blue Origin's third New Glenn rocket launch on Sunday marked the first reuse of a first-stage booster, but the mission failed to deliver AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite into its intended orbit. The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 7:25 a.m. ET, with the first stage successfully landing on the 'Jacklyn' droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. However, the second stage placed the satellite into an 'off-nominal orbit,' rendering it inoperable. AST SpaceMobile confirmed that while the satellite powered on after separation, its onboard propulsion system could not compensate for the lower-than-planned altitude, necessitating de-orbiting. The satellite was fully insured, and the company plans to continue its deployment schedule, aiming for approximately 45 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026. Blue Origin is investigating the anomaly to determine the cause of the orbit insertion failure.