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The FAA has cleared Blue Origin’s New Glenn heavy-lift rocket to resume flights after an April upper-stage thermal anomaly prevented payload insertion and destroyed an AST SpaceMobile satellite during reentry. Blue Origin filed an incident report, completed corrective actions, and did not disclose specific fixes; AST SpaceMobile confirmed insurance will cover the loss. While the anomaly affected the upper stage, other systems—such as first-stage reuse and autonomous ship recovery—performed normally on the mission. With FAA approval, Blue Origin can proceed with a planned slate of up to 12 New Glenn launches through 2026, as scrutiny continues over reliability and transparency.
FAA clearance lets Blue Origin resume New Glenn launches, affecting launch cadence and payload schedules for commercial and government customers. Tech professionals should track reliability and regulatory scrutiny that influence supplier risk and satellite deployment timelines.
Dossier last updated: 2026-05-28 20:55:02
Investigators have closed the probe into Blue Origin’s third New Glenn flight failure and the company says it fixed the issue, clearing the way for a mission as soon as June 4 to launch 48 Amazon LEO broadband satellites. The FAA found a cryogenic leak froze a hydraulic line, causing an upper-stage BE-3U engine to underperform on a planned second burn that left a prior payload stranded and later lost. Blue Origin implemented nine corrective actions and will test-fire New Glenn’s seven engines before rollout from Cape Canaveral. Amazon has been relying on ULA’s Vulcan as its primary launcher for a >3,200-satellite constellation, but Vulcan has faced recurring solid-rocket-booster anomalies, boosting the urgency for more reliable heavy-lift options.
Blue Origin cleared a Federal Aviation Administration probe into a March New Glenn upper-stage failure and is preparing to launch a mission carrying 48 Amazon Kuiper (Amazon Leo) broadband satellites as soon as June 4 from Cape Canaveral. Investigators traced the prior mission’s shortfall to a cryogenic leak that froze a hydraulic line and caused one BE-3U upper-stage engine to underperform on a planned second burn; Blue Origin has implemented nine corrective actions. The launch, which will be the largest single-rocket deployment for Amazon’s broadband constellation, underscores Amazon’s reliance on heavy-lift providers while rivals like ULA’s Vulcan face cadence and booster issues. A successful flight would signal New Glenn ramping toward higher launch rates.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn heavy-lift rocket has been cleared by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to resume flights after an April launch anomaly destroyed a commercial AST SpaceMobile satellite during reentry. The company said an upper-stage thermal anomaly caused one of three engines to underperform, preventing payload insertion; AST SpaceMobile confirmed insurance will cover its loss. Blue Origin submitted an incident report to the FAA and completed corrective actions, though it has not detailed fixes. The failed launch was New Glenn’s third flight; other systems, including a first-stage booster reuse and a second successful autonomous ship recovery, operated normally. The approval allows Blue Origin to pursue a planned slate of up to 12 launches through 2026.
Blue Origin cleared to fly New Glenn mega-rocket after April mishap