FAA grounds Blue Origin’s New Glenn after launch mishap

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aviation regulator in the U.S., has instructed Blue Origin to perform an investigation into the apparent failure of the upper stage of its New Glenn rocket, according to a report by the Orlando Sentinel. This regulatory directive means that the aerospace company is prohibited from flying the New Glenn vehicle again until the investigation is fully complete. The incident occurred on Sunday during what was the third launch of the heavy-lift rocket.

The primary objective of the Sunday mission was to deliver a communications satellite to space for AST SpaceMobile, a commercial customer. While the initial phases of the launch proceeded, the flight suffered an apparent failure of the upper stage. According to a statement from AST SpaceMobile, the rocket placed the satellite in an orbit that was lower than planned. On Monday, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp stated that the company believes one of the upper stage engines “didn’t produce sufficient thrust to reach our target orbit.” Because of the low orbit, AST SpaceMobile considers the satellite a lost cause, and the spacecraft is expected to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The grounding and subsequent investigation could impact Blue Origin’s ability to launch as many as 12 more New Glenn missions this year, depending on how long the regulatory probe takes to complete. This delay could also hinder Blue Origin’s efforts to compete with rival spaceflight company SpaceX. The news of the launch failure had an immediate financial impact on the customer; AST SpaceMobile’s stock price fell more than 10% on Monday before recovering.

The upper-stage mishap complicates Blue Origin’s broader strategic goals and commercial ambitions. The company is currently working on a lunar lander for NASA as part of the agency’s focus on returning humans to the lunar surface. Additionally, Blue Origin is in the process of trying to get New Glenn certified by the U.S. Space Force—the US military branch responsible for space operations—to fly national security missions for the government.

Why it matters

The FAA investigation grounds Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, potentially disrupting the company’s plans for up to 12 missions this year and complicating its efforts to secure government and commercial contracts.