Blue Origin flop

[ImStillMags Mags]

Blue Origin just failed its first commercial mission

The private space race faces a significant setback as Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket misses its orbital target, forcing the fiery disposal of a groundbreaking broadband satellite.

The lost satellite is part of a constellation, with individual satellites estimated to cost around $100–$120 million to manufacture.

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin experienced a bittersweet milestone during the third flight of its New Glenn rocket, known as NG-3. While the mission successfully demonstrated the recovery of its massive first-stage booster—nicknamed “Never Tell Me the Odds”—the primary objective ended in a costly failure.

A thrust deficiency in the rocket's second-stage engines left the mission's payload, AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite, stranded in an "off-nominal" orbit far below its intended altitude. Despite separating and powering on as planned, the spacecraft lacks the propulsion necessary to overcome intense atmospheric drag at such a low trajectory.

The loss is a significant blow to the future of space-based cellular connectivity. BlueBird 7 was a cornerstone of AST SpaceMobile's goal to beam broadband internet directly to standard smartphones, featuring a massive 2,400-square-foot antenna array. The company has officially confirmed the satellite must be de-orbited, where it will face a fiery destruction upon reentry. While a $30 million insurance claim will help recoup hardware costs, the failure has triggered an FAA investigation and temporarily grounded the New Glenn fleet. This disruption threatens to stall AST SpaceMobile’s ambitious 2026 global rollout and underscores the volatile risks inherent in the commercial space sector.

source: Wall, M. (2026). Blue Origin's huge New Glenn rocket grounded after launch mishap. Space.com.

[BEZARK]

Amazing, that big rocket lifted by  just one engine that looks to be only medium size.

[BEZARK]

It may be easier to land vertically with just one engine.