FAA orders investigation into Blue Origin’s New Glenn mishap

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated that Blue Origin conduct an in-depth investigation following a troubling incident involving the upper stage of its New Glenn rocket during a recent launch. According to reports from the Orlando Sentinel, this directive means that Blue Origin will be grounded until the investigation is completed, potentially jeopardizing the company's plans for up to 12 additional New Glenn missions this year, depending on the duration of the probe. The setback occurred during the third launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn mega-rocket over the weekend. The mission began promisingly, featuring the company's first reuse of a New Glenn booster, which successfully landed on a drone ship in the ocean. This advancement in rocket reusability is a significant milestone for Blue Origin, positioning it to compete with SpaceX, the current leader in the space launch industry. The primary goal of this mission was to deploy a communications satellite for AST SpaceMobile. While the second stage of the rocket did separate successfully from the booster, complications arose shortly thereafter. AST SpaceMobile reported that the rocket placed the satellite in an orbit lower than intended, leading the company to classify the satellite as a loss, with plans for it to re-enter and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. Fortunately, AST SpaceMobile has insurance to cover the financial implications of this loss and is preparing multiple new satellites that are expected to be ready for launch in the coming weeks. Following the incident, AST SpaceMobile's stock experienced a decline of over 10% before making a slight recovery. For Blue Origin, the failure of the upper stage poses risks beyond commercial missions; the company is also developing a lunar lander and aims to participate in NASA's initiatives for returning humans to the Moon. Additionally, Blue Origin is working towards obtaining certification for New Glenn from the U.S. Space Force to conduct national security missions, though the Space Force has yet to comment on the situation.