Blue Origin's New Glenn put a customer satellite in the wrong orbit during its third launch | TechCrunch

"The upper stage of the New Glenn rocket placed BlueBird 7 satellite into an orbit that was "lower than planned." The satellite successfully separated from the rocket and powered on, but the altitude is too low "to sustain operations" and will now have to be de-orbited."

"This represents the first major failure for Blue Origin's New Glenn program, which only made its first flight in January 2025 after more than a decade in development."

"The apparent failure of New Glenn's second stage could have wider implications beyond Blue Origin's near-term commercial ambitions, especially as the company aims to be a main launch provider for NASA's Artemis missions."

"Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp has even said his company "will move heaven and Earth" to help achieve the goals set by NASA and the Trump administration."

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket achieved its first successful re-use but failed to deliver the BlueBird 7 satellite to the intended orbit. The satellite was placed in a lower orbit than planned, making it unable to sustain operations and requiring de-orbiting. AST SpaceMobile's insurance will cover the loss, and they plan to launch more satellites by 2026. This incident marks a major failure for the New Glenn program, which is crucial for Blue Origin's ambitions with NASA's Artemis missions.

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