The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has halted operations for Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket after an issue arose during its Sunday liftoff from Cape Canaveral, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel and additional sources. The vehicle performed adequately during ascent but failed to deploy its cargo into the intended orbital path.
Officials at the FAA have classified the event as a mishap and launched a probe aimed at improving safety measures, pinpointing the underlying issue, and recommending steps to prevent recurrence. In their official release, the agency noted that resuming operations hinges on confirming that no elements of the systems, protocols, or processes tied to the incident pose risks to the public.
Blue Origin has yet to disclose details on the anomaly that disrupted the rocket's orbital insertion. The mission was designed to deliver a satellite to an altitude of 285 miles via two engine firings, yet tracking information indicated the spacecraft attained just a 95-mile elevation, rendering its orbit unstable.
This marked the third flight attempt for New Glenn, and it is not the initial instance of FAA intervention for the vehicle. Following its inaugural mission, where a landing proved impossible, the rocket faced a grounding period of almost three months before clearance. No timeline has been released for the current resumption, potentially complicating Blue Origin's upcoming deployment of Amazon's Leo constellation broadband satellites, slated for later this year aboard New Glenn.
In recent times, the FAA has imposed similar suspensions on various launch vehicles amid anomalies, such as the compact Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital system, as well as SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Starship programs.