During the third launch in history of Jeff Bezos' giant New Glenn rocket, Blue Origin successfully landed the first stage that had flown previously, but the payload was placed in the wrong orbit.
During the third launch in history of Jeff Bezos' giant New Glenn rocket, Blue Origin successfully landed the first stage that had flown previously, but the payload was placed in the wrong orbit.
The mission, called NG-3, launched Sunday, April 19, from the Space Force’s Cape Canaveral Launch Complex in Florida. It was the first time the first stage, which had already flown on the NG-2 mission, was used for the flight, equipped with new engines.
After separating from the upper part of the rocket, the first stage successfully landed on the Jacklyn floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean. According to Blue Origin vice president of New Glenn Jordan Charles, engineers previously upgraded the rocket’s thermal protection system and made changes to the guidance system to better control the atmospheric reentry process.
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) April 19, 2026
Despite the rocket’s triumphant return, the main goal of the mission was not achieved. On board was BlueBird 7, a giant satellite from AST SpaceMobile, designed to provide direct satellite Internet connectivity to smartphones (its antenna area reaches 223 square meters).
Two hours after launch, Blue Origin reported problems. Although the satellite successfully separated and powered up, it ended up in an unplanned orbit. AST SpaceMobile later confirmed the worst-case scenario — the flight altitude was too low for the onboard engines to support the operation of the device. The satellite will have to be deorbited and destroyed. At the same time, the company noted that financial losses will be compensated by insurance.
This flight was the third for the 98-meter New Glenn rocket, which debuted only in January 2025. Its first stage is designed to carry out at least 25 missions.
Proving the reliability of reusability is critical for Blue Origin, as it will allow Jeff Bezos' company to fully compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 and Starship rockets — the only orbital launch vehicles with proven reusability to date.
