FAA Grounds Blue Origin’s New Glenn After Upper-Stage Failure Strands AST Satellite

Overview

• New Glenn’s third mission placed AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 in an off-nominal, too-low orbit after the second upper-stage burn underperformed.
• AST SpaceMobile declared the satellite unrecoverable and plans to deorbit it, with the company expecting insurance to cover the loss.
• The FAA classified the event as a mishap and grounded New Glenn pending a company-led investigation involving NASA, the NTSB, and the U.S. Space Force.
• Blue Origin said a BE-3U engine on the upper stage produced insufficient thrust, which kept the vehicle from reaching the planned orbit.
• The first-stage booster landed on the Jacklyn platform and demonstrated reusability, yet the grounding clouds 2026 missions as Blue Origin still projects launches every one to two months.