Blue Origin has grounded its New Glenn heavy-lift launch vehicle indefinitely following a mission failure on April 20, 2026. During the rocket’s third flight, an engine anomaly occurred during the second-stage burn, preventing the payload from reaching its intended orbital altitude. The primary payload, AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite, was deployed into a significantly lower-than-planned orbit, rendering the spacecraft incapable of performing its intended telecommunications mission.
The mission, which launched from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, appeared to proceed normally through the first-stage ascent and separation. The seven BE-4 engines on the first stage performed as expected, and the booster successfully executed a landing on the recovery ship Jacklyn stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. However, telemetry data indicated a premature shutdown of the two BE-3U engines powering the New Glenn upper stage approximately four minutes into the second-stage burn. This technical failure resulted in a critical velocity shortfall, leaving the BlueBird 7 satellite in a decaying orbit with a perigee of approximately 150 kilometers, well below the planned 500-kilometer circular orbit.
Following an assessment by AST SpaceMobile engineers, it was determined that the BlueBird 7 satellite lacked sufficient onboard propulsion to compensate for the launch vehicle's underperformance. Consequently, the decision was made to command a controlled de-orbit of the satellite to ensure it burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere, preventing it from becoming a long-term orbital debris hazard. AST SpaceMobile confirmed the loss of the satellite in a statement late Monday, noting that while the spacecraft was healthy upon deployment, the orbital parameters were insufficient for service delivery. The BlueBird 7 is part of a constellation designed to provide direct-to-cell broadband connectivity globally.
Blue Origin has initiated a formal mishap investigation board to identify the root cause of the BE-3U engine failure. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is overseeing the investigation, which is a standard regulatory requirement for commercial launch failures. Until the investigation is complete and corrective actions are implemented, all future New Glenn launches are suspended. This grounding affects a significant manifest of upcoming missions, including scheduled launches for Amazon’s Project Kuiper and various national security payloads. The New Glenn rocket, featuring a seven-meter fairing and a reusable first stage, is central to Blue Origin’s commercial strategy. This third flight was intended to solidify the vehicle's reliability after two successful launches earlier in the year.