Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Fails to Deliver Satellite to Correct Orbit

The third launch of the New Glenn rocket resulted in the payload being placed into an unintended orbit.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 6:33pm

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A highly detailed, glowing 3D illustration of a large satellite antenna array in orbit, surrounded by a complex web of interconnected data cables and hardware components, representing the advanced communications technology powering a space-based cellular network.A setback in the launch of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has left a critical communications satellite in an unintended orbit, raising concerns about the reliability of the company's space technology.Midland Today

Blue Origin successfully launched its third New Glenn rocket on Sunday, but the mission experienced a setback when the rocket's upper stage failed to deliver the payload, a communications satellite built by AST SpaceMobile, into the intended orbit. While the first stage of the rocket landed safely, the company confirmed that the satellite was placed into an "off-nominal orbit." The nature of the orbit issue and whether the satellite can still function properly are currently being assessed by Blue Origin and AST SpaceMobile.

Why it matters

The New Glenn rocket is a critical part of Blue Origin's plans to compete with SpaceX in the commercial, military, and scientific satellite launch market, as well as deploy its own fleet of internet satellites. This setback could potentially delay or impact those broader business objectives for the company.

The details

The New Glenn rocket lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday morning, with the first stage performing a successful landing on a Blue Origin recovery barge. However, the rocket's upper stage failed to place the BlueBird 7 satellite, built by AST SpaceMobile, into its intended orbit. Blue Origin confirmed the satellite had powered on but was in an "off-nominal orbit." The company is currently assessing the situation and has not provided further details on the nature of the orbit issue or whether the satellite can still function properly.

  • The New Glenn rocket launched on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. ET.
  • The first stage landed on a recovery barge about 9 minutes and 20 seconds after liftoff.

The players

Blue Origin

An American aerospace manufacturer and sub-orbital spaceflight services company founded by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.

AST SpaceMobile

A company based in Midland, Texas that is developing a space-based cellular broadband network to provide 4G and 5G service directly to standard cellphones.

Jeff Bezos

The founder of Amazon and the owner of Blue Origin.

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What’s next

Blue Origin and AST SpaceMobile are currently assessing the situation to determine if the satellite can still function properly in the unintended orbit. The companies have not provided details on any potential options to eventually achieve the planned orbit.

The takeaway

This launch setback for Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket highlights the technical challenges of delivering payloads to precise orbits and could impact the company's broader business plans to compete with SpaceX in the commercial satellite launch market.