Giant BlueBird 7 Mobile Phone Satellite to Be Deorbited After Blue Origin New Glenn Places It in Wrong Orbit
Summary: AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite, the latest addition to the company's planned direct-to-device mobile broadband constellation, was launched aboard Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket on April 16, 2026, but was deployed into an incorrect orbit. The operator has confirmed the satellite will be deorbited rather than salvaged, marking a setback for Blue Origin's first operational New Glenn mission with a commercial payload.
Credit: AST SpaceMobile / Space.com
BlueBird 7 was one of the largest commercial communications satellites ever attempted, designed to provide direct broadband connectivity to standard mobile phones without requiring specialized handsets. The satellite was launched on Blue Origin's New Glenn NG-3 mission, which marked the first time Blue Origin reused a New Glenn first stage booster. While the booster landing and reuse were successful, the upper stage apparently delivered the payload to an incorrect orbit.
According to reports, the satellite was deployed into an orbit significantly different from the planned orbit, making it unable to perform its intended communications functions. AST SpaceMobile has stated that BlueBird 7 will be deorbited in a controlled manner rather than attempting to use it in a degraded capacity or leaving it as a dead satellite in the wrong orbit.
This incident highlights the challenges Blue Origin faces as it works to establish New Glenn as a reliable commercial launch vehicle. Despite successfully landing and recovering the booster for reuse, the primary mission objective of delivering the payload to the correct orbit was not achieved.
Blue Origin has not yet publicly disclosed the cause of the orbit insertion error. The company is expected to conduct an investigation before the next New Glenn launch.