Blue Origin Loses AST SpaceMobile Satellite, Citing New Glenn Upper-Stage Failure

Blue Origin’s third New Glenn mission experienced a significant upper-stage anomaly on April 19, 2026. This failure resulted in the loss of the primary payload. The reusable first-stage booster successfully completed its first drone ship landing during the flight.

The rocket's second stage failed to deliver the AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 satellite into its intended orbit. The satellite reached an unsustainable altitude, leading AST SpaceMobile to declare the spacecraft a total loss. The company expects to recover the satellite's cost through its insurance policy.

The incident marks a setback for Blue Origin’s heavy-lift program and upcoming Amazon Kuiper constellation missions. The failure also threatens the timeline for the Blue Moon lunar lander test flight. Blue Origin expects to launch an investigation into the cause of the malfunction.