Blue Origin's newest rocket has been grounded after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered an investigation into a 'mishap' involving the failed launch of a satellite. The company, founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, attempted to place a satellite from AST SpaceMobile using its New Glenn rocket but was unable to get it as far into orbit as intended. Blue Origin's chief executive Dave Limp said the failure was caused by a lack of 'sufficient thrust' in an engine. AST SpaceMobile's share price fell by more than 6% on Monday. Limp stated: 'We clearly didn't deliver the mission our customer wanted, and our team expects.' Blue Origin is investigating the incident with FAA oversight. A spokesperson for the authority noted, 'The FAA is requiring Blue Origin to conduct a mishap investigation.' They will oversee the investigation, approving any necessary corrective actions. Limp expressed hopes that the investigation would allow Blue Origin to learn from the incident and make the required improvements for a quick return to flight operations. The FAA will determine based on findings when the New Glenn can launch again. This operation marked only the third flight for New Glenn, with Blue Origin aiming for a dozen launches this year. The rocket was meant to carry an AST satellite designed for low earth orbit mobile phone connectivity. Since the satellite did not reach its required orbit, it is now deemed unusable. AST announced that the loss will be covered by insurance, though costs have not been disclosed. The trend towards deploying satellites for internet access, especially in hard-to-reach areas, is growing in popularity among tech firms. Earlier this year, Blue Origin committed to launching thousands of such satellites in a new project titled TerraWave. Amazon is also expanding into this space, investing $11 billion to acquire a satellite manufacturer and operator to develop its own project, named Leo. Both initiatives seem to be in a race against Starlink, Elon Musk's company that has already launched several thousand operational satellites for consumer connectivity. Starlink is expected to play a significant role in SpaceX's projected public offering later this year.
Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Grounded Following Satellite Launch Failure
Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Grounded Following Satellite Launch Failure
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has been grounded by the FAA after a satellite launch mishap that resulted in an insufficient thrust failure, hindering the satellite's intended orbit.
The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket following a failure during a recent launch attempt of an AST SpaceMobile satellite. Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp attributed the mishap to insufficient engine thrust, leading to the satellite not reaching its designated orbit. AST SpaceMobile's shares dropped over 6% following the failure, and an investigation into the incident is ongoing with FAA oversight to determine when the New Glenn rocket can return to flight operations.
