Blue Origin and AST SpaceMobile confirmed on April 22, 2026, that the BlueBird 7 satellite failed to reach its intended operational orbit following a second-stage anomaly during the New Glenn NG-3 mission. The launch, which took place from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, initially appeared successful as the first-stage booster, nicknamed Never Tell Me The Odds, completed its first reuse and landed on the recovery ship Jacklyn. However, telemetry from the upper stage indicated a performance shortfall during the final orbital insertion burn.
Technical data released by mission control suggests that one of the two vacuum-optimized BE-3U engines, which power the New Glenn second stage, experienced an unplanned thrust reduction approximately five minutes into its burn. This resulted in the 2,400-kilogram BlueBird 7 satellite being deployed into an elliptical orbit with a perigee of roughly 280 kilometers, significantly below the target circular orbit of 700 kilometers. While AST SpaceMobile has established stable communication with the spacecraft, the lower altitude increases atmospheric drag and complicates the deployment of the satellite’s massive 2,400-square-foot phased-array antenna.
BlueBird 7 is the second of AST SpaceMobile’s Block 2 series, designed to provide direct-to-device 5G connectivity to standard smartphones. The satellite features the proprietary AST5000 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which supports 10 GHz of processing bandwidth and peak data speeds of up to 120 Mbps. The mission was a critical component of the company’s 2026 roadmap, which aimed to have 45 to 60 satellites in orbit by year-end to enable continuous global service. The current orbital position may require the satellite to expend a significant portion of its onboard propellant to reach a functional altitude, potentially reducing its expected five-year operational lifespan.
Blue Origin has convened an Internal Failure Review Board to investigate the BE-3U engine performance. This anomaly marks the first major flight failure for the New Glenn program since its inaugural launch in January 2025. The second stage uses a liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen (hydrolox) configuration, and the BE-3U engines are rated for 175,000 lbf of vacuum thrust. Investigators are currently analyzing whether the issue was a mechanical failure within the turbopump assembly or a software-related thrust-vectoring error.
AST SpaceMobile Chairman and CEO Abel Avellan stated that the company is evaluating contingency maneuvers to raise the satellite’s orbit using its internal propulsion systems. However, the delay in achieving operational status for BlueBird 7 impacts the broader constellation's capacity. The company currently has a multi-launch agreement with Blue Origin to utilize the New Glenn’s seven-meter fairing, which is capable of carrying up to eight Block 2 satellites per flight in future missions. No timeline has been provided for the next New Glenn launch pending the results of the investigation.