{"id":17027,"date":"2026-04-20T00:48:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T16:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/in-a-first-blue-origin-uses-a-recycled-rocket-to-send-a-satellite-into-orbit-unfortunately-its-the-wrong-orbit\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T00:48:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T16:48:33","slug":"in-a-first-blue-origin-uses-a-recycled-rocket-to-send-a-satellite-into-orbit-unfortunately-its-the-wrong-orbit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/in-a-first-blue-origin-uses-a-recycled-rocket-to-send-a-satellite-into-orbit-unfortunately-its-the-wrong-orbit\/","title":{"rendered":"In a first, Blue Origin uses a recycled rocket to send a satellite into orbit \u2014 unfortunately, it\u2019s the wrong orbit"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1260\" height=\"674\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ng2x-1260x674.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-924723\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ng2x-1260x674.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ng2x-768x411.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ng2x-1536x822.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ng2x.jpg 1634w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1260px) 100vw, 1260px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"wp-element-caption\">Blue Origin\u2019s New Glenn rocket rises from its Florida pad, sending an AST SpaceMobile satellite into space. (Blue Origin via YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin space venture used a previously flown New Glenn rocket booster to send a satellite into space today, marking a first for the company. <\/p>\n<p>It was also New Glenn\u2019s first launch failure.<\/p>\n<p>The first-stage booster \u2014 nicknamed \u201cNever Tell Me the Odds\u201d \u2014 made its second successful touchdown on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean, drawing cheers from the Blue Origin team. But hours later, AST SpaceMobile said that its BlueBird 7 satellite was not deployed into its intended orbit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBlueBird 7 was placed into a lower than planned orbit by the upper stage of the launch vehicle,\u201d the Texas-based company said in a news release. \u201cWhile the satellite separated from the launch vehicle and powered on, the altitude is too low to sustain operations with its onboard thruster technology and will [be] deorbited. The cost of the satellite is expected to be recovered under the company\u2019s insurance policy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7:25 a.m. ET (4:25 a.m. PT). The twice-used booster made its first flight last November when it launched NASA\u2019s Escapade probes on a mission to Mars. Blue Origin\u2019s Florida team recovered and refurbished the booster for today\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Origin executed the same maneuver today. The webcast showed the booster settling down to a touchdown on the landing craft, which was christened Jacklyn as a tribute to Bezos\u2019 mother. Team members could be heard cheering at Mission Control in Florida, at the company\u2019s headquarters in Kent, Wash., and at other outposts in Texas and Alabama.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWelcome back once again, Never Tell Me the Odds,\u201d launch commentator Tabitha Lipkin said. \u201cIt\u2019s good to say that twice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bezos celebrated the achievement by posting a video clip of the landing on social media:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\">\n<iframe class=\"instagram-media instagram-media-rendered\" id=\"instagram-embed-0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DXUS_2fkbW-\/embed\/captioned\/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=987&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com&amp;rp=%2F2026%2Fblue-origin-uses-a-recycled-rocket-to-launch-satellite-for-ast-spacemobile%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A1587.405000347644%7D\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"1028\" data-instgrm-payload-id=\"instagram-media-payload-0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"background: white; max-width: 658px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;\"><\/iframe><script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<p>This was the third launch for Blue Origin\u2019s orbital-class New Glenn rocket. The first liftoff in January 2025 sent a payload into orbit to test the communication and control systems for Blue Origin\u2019s Blue Ring space mobility platform. Blue Origin tried to recover the booster that was used for that mission, nicknamed \u201cSo You\u2019re Telling Me There\u2019s a Chance,\u201d but that first booster missed its chance.<\/p>\n<p>After today\u2019s successful booster touchdown, the focus shifted to the mission\u2019s primary objective: deploying BlueBird 7 from the rocket\u2019s second stage. That was due to take place an hour and 15 minutes after liftoff, but it took an hour longer for Blue Origin to issue an update.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have confirmed payload separation. AST SpaceMobile has confirmed the satellite has powered on. The payload was placed into an off-nominal orbit,\u201d Blue Origin said in a status report posted to X.<\/p>\n<p>AST followed up several hours later with its own statement acknowledging that the satellite would have to be deorbited.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Update:<\/strong> The Federal Aviation Administration classified the launch failure as a mishap, which means that New Glenn rockets will be grounded while Blue Origin determines the cause of the failure and implements corrective actions under FAA oversight. The satellite reportedly was placed in a highly elliptical orbit, suggesting that New Glenn\u2019s upper stage failed to execute the correct engine burn for circularizing the orbit.<\/p>\n<p>BlueBird 7 was meant to join seven other satellites in AST\u2019s constellation, including a prototype BlueWalker satellite. The BlueBird satellites are designed to deliver cellular broadband connectivity directly from space to standard smartphones.<\/p>\n<p>AST SpaceMobile said it still plans to have about 45 satellites in its constellation by the end of 2026. It expects to conduct a launch every one or two months on average, supported by agreements with multiple launch providers.<\/p>\n<p>Scott Wisniewski, AST\u2019s president and chief strategy officer, told PCMag last month that the company could begin commercial service in its initial markets once 45 to 60 satellites are in orbit. AST SpaceMobile\u2019s services would be provided through partnerships with AT&amp;T, Verizon and other wireless networks.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"New Glenn launch and landing, 19 April 2026\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9058shywgw8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Direct-to-device connectivity is shaping up as a fast-moving frontier for satellite broadband services. SpaceX was the first to enter the fray: It struck a D2D deal with T-Mobile in 2022 and is ramping up its Starlink satellite network to accommodate the needs of cellular subscribers.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Amazon announced that it will acquire Globalstar, a Louisiana-based satellite operator, and will partner with Apple to beef up D2D services. That deal is expected to give a boost to the Amazon Leo satellite broadband network, a Starlink competitor that\u2019s due to begin commercial service this year.<\/p>\n<p>Rocket reusability is another realm where SpaceX has long been a leader but is now facing heightened competition. The ability to recover and reuse rocket boosters plays a huge part in SpaceX\u2019s strategy to drive down launch costs. Despite the unwelcome news about BlueBird 7, today\u2019s launch demonstrated that Blue Origin is able to leverage rocket reusability as well.<\/p>\n<p><em>This report has been updated with status reports from Blue Origin and AST SpaceMobile.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Blue Origin\u2019s New Glenn rocket rises from its Florida pad, sending an AST SpaceMobile satellite into space. (Blue Origin via YouTube) Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin space venture used a previously flown New Glenn rocket booster to send a satellite into space today, marking a first for the company. It was also New Glenn\u2019s first launch [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[575,509,510,20,4336,442],"class_list":["post-17027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-ast-spacemobile","tag-blue-origin","tag-new-glenn","tag-satellite","tag-satellite-broadband","tag-satellites"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17027"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17027\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}