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

What Happened

Blue Origin successfully reused its New Glenn rocket for the first time Sunday, but failed its primary mission. The rocket placed AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 communications satellite into a lower-than-planned orbit, making it unsuitable for operations. The satellite will deorbit and burn in Earth's atmosphere. Insurance covers the loss. AST SpaceMobile plans launching 45 more satellites by 2026.

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