Blue Origin cleared to resume New Glenn flights after April mishap
Original: Blue Origin cleared to fly New Glenn mega-rocket after April mishap
Why This Matters
Clears path for Blue Origin's aggressive 2026 launch schedule in competitive commercial space market
The FAA has cleared Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket to fly again after an April upper stage failure that caused an AST SpaceMobile satellite to burn up in Earth's atmosphere. The company submitted corrective measures.
Blue Origin's New Glenn mega-rocket is no longer grounded after the Federal Aviation Administration cleared it to fly following an April launch mishap. The upper stage experienced an 'off-nominal thermal condition' during the rocket's third flight, causing one of three engines to produce lower thrust than expected. This resulted in the AST SpaceMobile satellite burning up in Earth's atmosphere instead of reaching orbit. AST SpaceMobile confirmed insurance covered the lost satellite. Despite the payload failure, Blue Origin successfully reused the New Glenn booster stage for the first time and landed it on a drone ship. The company submitted a report to the FAA and implemented corrective measures, though details weren't disclosed. Blue Origin aims to launch New Glenn up to 12 times by the end of 2026.