FAA Grounds Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket After Satellite Delivered to Wrong Orbit

The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket following a mission failure that saw a commercial satellite delivered to an incorrect orbit, according to a report from the Orlando Sentinel.

The satellite in question belonged to AST SpaceMobile, a company working to build a space-based cellular broadband network. The misdelivery raises serious questions about the operational reliability of Blue Origin's heavy-lift vehicle, which only completed its inaugural launch earlier this year.

The FAA's grounding order means New Glenn cannot fly again until a thorough investigation is completed and the agency is satisfied that the root cause of the orbital error has been identified and corrected. Such reviews are standard procedure following anomalies on licensed commercial launches.

AST SpaceMobile has not yet publicly disclosed the full extent of the impact on its satellite or its broader constellation deployment plans. The company has been racing to build out its BlueBird satellite network, which aims to provide direct-to-device connectivity across the globe.

Blue Origin has not released a detailed statement addressing the nature of the malfunction or providing a timeline for when it expects the investigation to conclude. The company has invested heavily in New Glenn as its flagship orbital rocket, positioning it as a competitor to SpaceX's Falcon 9.

The grounding is a significant setback for Blue Origin, which has been working to establish New Glenn as a reliable and commercially viable launch platform. Any prolonged investigation could delay upcoming missions and shake customer confidence in the vehicle's dependability.