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Blue Origin’s New Glenn put a customer satellite in the wrong orbit during itsthird launch
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket successfully reused its booster but failed to correctly place the AST SpaceMobile satellite into orbit during its third launch. The satellite will need to be de-orbited, incurring losses covered by insurance. This incident marks a major setback for Blue Origin, which aims to be a key player in NASA's Artemis missions.
Key points
- New Glenn rocket launched successfully but placed satellite in the wrong orbit.
- AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite is now unusable and will be de-orbited.
- Insurance covers the loss of the satellite, and AST SpaceMobile has more satellites in the pipeline.
- This is the first major failure for New Glenn, which had just begun its commercial missions.
- The failure could impact Blue Origin's chances in NASA's Artemis program, which seeks lunar missions.
Why it matters
- This incident highlights the competitive landscape among space companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX, both vying for commercial launch contracts.
- Historically, SpaceX faced similar setbacks earlier in its program, showing the challenges of heavy-lift launch vehicles.
- The failure may affect Blue Origin’s efforts to secure contracts for future lunar lander missions with NASA, as deadlines for Artemis missions loom.
The failure of New Glenn's third launch poses significant challenges for Blue Origin as it attempts to cement its position in the commercial space industry and fulfill critical NASA contracts, underscoring the complexities of space exploration.