Blue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blasted off beautifully on April 19, 2026, at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
JETTY PARK/PORT CANAVERAL/CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, FL – The 3rdBlue Origin New Glenn Mission (NG-3) was declared a failure after the upper stage malfunctioned and failed to place the payload into a useable orbit and resulted in a declaration of a total loss of the giant AST Mobile satellite.
After the launch team decided on a few last minute rechecks the New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blasted off beautifully on Sunday morning, April 19, about 40 minutes later than planned just past sunrise at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Blue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blasted off beautifully on April 19, 2026, at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
We watched along with a big crowd at Jetty Park beach and Pier at Port Canaveral on the Atlantic Ocean as the sun rose gloriously
Enjoy our photos by Ken Kremer and Jean Wright for Space UpClose
The first stage generates about 3.8 million pounds of thrust and the 7 BE-4 engines appeared to work flawlessly on NG-3
Blue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blasted off beautifully on April 19, 2026, at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
This failure counts as a significant setback for Blue Origin – despite successful recovery of the 1st stage for a second time on the Jacklyn landing platform at sea north of the Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean
The goal is to deliver the payload to orbit. No one cares about the rest if the payload is lost due to a rocket malfunction
Blue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blastoff April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Jean Wright/SpaceUpClose.com
While at first all went well, it wasn’t long before the upper stage failed to fire properly and the payload was delivered to a far to low orbit to survive and AST Space Mobile BlueBird 7, from Midland, Texas, was declared a total loss
The onboard thrusters did not have the power to raise it to a survivable orbit
Blue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blastoff April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Jean Wright/SpaceUpClose.com
AST Space mobile BlueBird 7 was built as the largest ever communications satellite – with a solar array wing span of some 2400 feet and a direct-to-cellphone capability
AST Space Mobile statement:
“While the satellite separated from the launch vehicle and powered on, the altitude is too low to sustain operations with its on-board thruster technology and will de-orbited. The cost of the satellite is expected to be recovered under the company’s insurance policy.”
BlueBird 7 was part of a constellation planned to expand direct-to-smartphone broadband network capacity and help enable initial service rollout in 2026.
This mission featured the return of New Glenn’s first-stage booster, ‘Never Tell Me The Odds’, which successfully launched and landed on Nov. 13, 2025
Blue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blasted off beautifully on April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
It had successfully landed on the program’s second mission last November on the Jacklyn droneship.
‘Never Tell Me The Odds’ which successfully landed on Jacklyn – named for the mother of billionaire Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos – about nine minutes and 20 seconds after launch.
The path to launch was cleared following a successful static fire test of all 7 first stage BE-4 engines for about 20 seconds on April 16 at 745 am ET.
Blue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blasted off beautifully on April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
The first stage generates about 3.8 million pounds of thrust
Fire & Fury! BE-4 first stage engines upclose . Blue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blast April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
CEO Dave Limp announced that although the first stage core is recycled that all 7 engines have been replaced with new BE-4 engines
“With our first refurbished booster we elected to replace all seven engines and test out a few upgrades including a thermal protection system on one of the engine nozzles,” Limp posted on twitter on April 13. “We plan to use the engines we flew for NG-2 on future flights.”
Blue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blasted off beautifully on April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
Blue Origin is only the 2nd company to demonstrate landing and reusability of orbit class rockets
Blue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blastoff April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Jean Wright/SpaceUpClose.com
They are designing New Glenn first stage to fly and be reused up to 25 times
Blue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blastoff April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Jean Wright/SpaceUpClose.com
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Ken Kremer recent TV interviews
I was interviewed on TV about the failed NG-3 launch by several news outlets and Fox 35 Orlando featured several of my launch photos
Screenshot
Apr 20/21 WFTV ABC News Orlando: I was interviewed about Artemis III core stage shipping to KSC and failed New Glenn-3 launch
Apr 20/21 Fox 35 Orlando evening news: I was interviewed about Artemis III core stage shipping to KSC and failed New Glenn-3 launch. Also includes my New Glenn-3 launch photos
Apr 20 Fox 35+ Orlando: I was interviewed live by Fox 35 Orlando about Artemis III core stage shipping to KSC and failed New Glenn-3 launch. Also includes my New Glenn-3 launch photos
Blue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blastoff April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Jean Wright/SpaceUpClose.comBlue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blastoff April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Jean Wright/SpaceUpClose.comBlue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blastoff April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Jean Wright/SpaceUpClose.comKen Kremer and Jean Wright of Space UpClose await liftoff of NG-3 at Jetty Park Beach and Port Canaveral on the Atlantic Ocean on April 19, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.comKen Kremer and Jean Wright of Space UpClose pose with lucky launch trolls Astrtolina and Nebulina backdropped by Blue Origin New Glenn-3 rocket ahead of planned liftoff on 19 April 2026 with AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 satellite to low Earth orbit. Credit: Jean Wright/SpaceUpClose.comBlue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blastoff April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Jean Wright/SpaceUpClose.comBlue Origin New Glenn-3 (NG-3) rocket blasted off beautifully on April 19, 2026 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, but failed due to upper stage malfunction resulting in total loss of the AST Mobile BlueBird 7 communications satellite. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news. Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics. Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events.
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