New Glenn Achieves First Booster Reuse, but AST SpaceMobile Satellite Ends Up in Off-Nominal Orbit

AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite will be deorbited after Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket placed it into a lower-than-planned orbit due to an underperforming BE-3U engine. The failure occurred during the upper stage burn, and an FAA investigation has grounded the rocket while the issue is reviewed. AST SpaceMobile expects to recover the satellite’s cost through insurance, though the incident is a setback for both the launcher’s commercial progress and the company’s deployment plans.

Read more: https://www.satellitetoday.com/launch/2026/04/20/new-glenn-grounded-and-ast-spacemobile-satellite-lost-after-launch-anomaly/