CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin has suspended operations of its massive New Glenn rocket following a weekend mission that went awry, leaving a satellite stranded in an incorrect orbital path.
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered a halt to all New Glenn launches while investigators examine what caused Sunday’s mission failure at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
During the launch, the rocket’s reusable first stage successfully completed its job, touching down on a floating platform in the ocean as planned. However, problems arose with the second stage, which failed to carry the satellite high enough to reach its intended operational orbit.
According to Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp, who spoke Monday, initial findings suggest one of the second stage engines didn’t generate sufficient power during the critical phase of flight.
Officials haven’t announced when or where the malfunctioning upper stage and its AST SpaceMobile payload might crash back to Earth. The satellite was intended to expand AST SpaceMobile’s constellation that enables direct communication between space and cellular phones.
This marks just the third mission for the towering New Glenn vehicle, Blue Origin’s primary rocket for orbital deliveries. The space agency NASA has selected New Glenn as a potential launcher for Blue Moon spacecraft in its Artemis lunar exploration initiative. The rocket faces competition from SpaceX’s Starship for future astronaut moon landings planned for 2028.
Standing over 320 feet tall, the rocket honors John Glenn, who became the first American astronaut to complete an Earth orbit in 1962.
