FAA Grounds Blue Origin's New Glenn After Launch Fails to Deliver Payload to Correct Orbit
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on April 21 that it has grounded Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket pending investigation after the vehicle failed to deliver its payload to the correct orbit during its third launch on April 20.
Incident Overview
On April 19, New Glenn lifted off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying the BlueBird Block 2 FM2 mission. While the rocket lifted off successfully, one of the two second stage engines malfunctioned during flight, causing the payload to fail to reach its intended orbit. This marked New Glenn's first launch failure.
Prior New Glenn flight history:
- NG-1 (January 2025): Successful orbit insertion, booster recovery failed
- NG-2 (January 6, 2026): Successful orbit insertion, booster recovery successful (first reuse)
FAA Grounding Order
The FAA stated:
"Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket experienced a mishap on April 19 during its third launch when the payload failed to achieve its intended orbit. The vehicle is prohibited from flying again until the FAA concludes its investigation and grants authorization."
The agency noted the incident involved a second stage engine anomaly requiring full assessment before resuming flights.
Impact on Blue Origin
The grounding order significantly affects Blue Origin's commercial launch schedule. The BlueBird Block 2 satellite is considered a total loss due to the incorrect orbit, while upcoming missions including orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) tests face delays.
Investigation and remediation could take weeks to months before the rocket returns to flight.
Background: New Glenn
New Glenn is Blue Origin's heavy-lift reusable rocket, approximately 98 meters tall, with a LEO payload capacity of approximately 45 metric tons. It is designed to deliver satellites and probes to orbit and is slated for future NASA crewed lunar landing missions.
Sources: The Register, TechSpot, April 21-22, 2026