In its third flight, a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket puts satellite payload into wrong orbit
Blue Origin launched its third New Glenn rocket on Sunday, successfully re-flying and recovering a previously used first stage. However, the payload, a direct-to-cellphone satellite, was placed into the wrong orbit, the company said.
“We have confirmed payload separation,” Blue Origin, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, posted on X. “AST SpaceMobile has confirmed the satellite has powered on. The payload was placed into an off-nominal orbit. We are currently assessing and will update when we have more detailed information.”
The satellite, BlueBird 7 built by AST SpaceMobile in Midland, Texas, carries a 2,400-square-foot phased array antenna, the largest civilian antenna of its kind in low-Earth orbit. It is part of a new generation of relay satellites designed to deliver space-based 4G and 5G service directly to mobile phones worldwide. The setback affects AST’s plan for up to 60 Block 2 BlueBird satellites launched on SpaceX Falcon 9, India’s LVM3, and Blue Origin’s New Glenn. It is not yet known whether the satellite can operate properly or be moved to its intended orbit.
Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station came at 7:25 a.m. ET after a 40-minute hold. The rocket’s seven BE-4 methane engines generated 3.8 million pounds of thrust. The first stage separated after 3 minutes 9 seconds and later landed on a recovery barge in the Atlantic at about 9 minutes 20 seconds. The same booster flew on NG-2, though with different engines after refurbishment and upgrades, including a thermal protection system.
The second stage, powered by two BE-3 engines, continued to orbit, but a planned burn about 1 hour 10 minutes after launch was not confirmed, and Blue Origin later said the satellite had not reached its intended orbit.
Blue Origin competes with SpaceX in launch services and is developing Amazon’s LEO internet constellation to rival Starlink, along with NASA lunar landers. New Glenn is central to those plans, including a tentative Blue Moon prototype launch this fall and one or two Amazon satellite launches before year’s end.
