TITUSVILLE, Fla. — Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket is grounded for now after a launch anomaly left a broadband satellite stuck in an orbit too low to be usable. AST SpaceMobile says the satellite must be deorbited.
“This is a significant setback, absolutely no doubt about it,” said Dr. Ken Kremer with Space UpClose.
Blue Origin is leading the investigation into what went wrong during the second stage of the launch. According to Blue Origin CEO David Limp, early indications suggest that one of the BE-3U engines did not produce enough thrust to place the satellite in its planned orbit.
AST SpaceMobile says the financial hit should be covered by insurance, and the company isn’t slowing down. It still plans to launch new satellites into low Earth orbit every one to two months, using a mix of launch providers.
“They are expecting to launch more versions of the satellite with other launch providers, so they’re not totally dependent on Blue Origin,” Kremer said. The FAA is also involved, overseeing the investigation.
In a statement, the agency says a return to flight of the New Glenn vehicle is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety.
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