Launch and Recovery Success
The third mission of Blue Origin's New Glenn orbital-class rocket commenced successfully on Sunday, April 19, with liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force
Station at 7:25 a.m. EDT. The initial ascent appeared to proceed as planned. A key highlight of this mission was the successful propulsive recovery of the rocket's first stage, named 'Never Tell Me The Odds,' which was being reused for the very first time. Approximately six minutes after liftoff, the first stage executed a controlled landing on Blue Origin's 'Jacklyn' droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean, marking a significant achievement in rocket reusability for the company. These early stages of the launch and recovery were met with positive updates from Blue Origin.
Payload Orbit Anomaly
However, by 9:40 a.m. EDT, Blue Origin publicly acknowledged a deviation from the mission's objectives. The company confirmed that the payload separation was successful and that the AST SpaceMobile satellite, designated BlueBird 7, had powered on. Despite these positive indicators, the satellite had been placed into an 'off-nominal orbit.' Blue Origin stated they were actively assessing the situation and would provide further details. This statement indicated a deviation from the intended orbital parameters, suggesting a problem with the satellite's final trajectory after separation from the launch vehicle.
Satellite's Fate Confirmed
Later on Sunday, AST SpaceMobile, the owner of the BlueBird 7 satellite, issued its own statement, confirming the unfortunate reality. While the satellite had successfully detached from the New Glenn rocket and powered up, its resultant altitude was insufficient for its onboard thrusters to maintain its orbit. Consequently, the satellite was slated for de-orbiting. AST SpaceMobile indicated that the financial loss associated with this satellite would be covered by the company's insurance policy, a standard procedure for such incidents. This development meant the ambitious plan for BlueBird 7 to join a large constellation for space-based cellular broadband was cut short.
BlueBird 7's Mission
The BlueBird 7 satellite was designed to be a substantial component of AST SpaceMobile's expansive network, aiming to create the largest communications array ever deployed in low Earth orbit. Its purpose was to bolster the network's capacity for delivering space-based cellular broadband services directly to consumer smartphones. This particular satellite was notable for its considerable size, featuring an antenna that spanned an impressive 2,400 square feet (223 square meters). The objective was to bridge connectivity gaps and provide mobile service from space, a groundbreaking endeavor that has now faced a significant setback with the loss of this key satellite.
Implications for Future Launches
The premature de-orbiting of BlueBird 7 has introduced uncertainty regarding the impact on subsequent missions utilizing Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. This includes the company's scheduled uncrewed lunar landing planned for later in the year. For this lunar mission, Blue Origin intends to utilize its prototype MK1 'Endurance' lander as a test vehicle. This lander serves as a precursor to the much larger MK2 lander, which is slated to support NASA's Artemis astronaut missions to the moon's south pole. The successful deployment of payloads into their correct orbits is critical for all space missions, and the issue with BlueBird 7 raises important questions for future flight planning and payload integration.
