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News Link • Space Travel and Exploration

Blue Origin Launches and Recovers Booster, Orbit of AST Space Mobile Satellite Too Low. BB7 Lost

• https://www.nextbigfuture.com, by Brian Wang

UPDATE – ASTS admits the satellite is too low and cannot be saved.

Planned second-stage profile (per pre-launch timeline and Blue Origin) was ~T+75 minutes the payload separation into a 460 km circular low Earth orbit at ~49.4° inclination. This was to be followed a second (circularization) BE-3U burn planned to last 68 seconds, with separation occurring ~5 minutes after that burn.ended.

What actually happened with the second-stage engine cutoff.

The second (circularization) burn either failed to ignite/re-light or cut off immediately/prematurely (effectively ~68 seconds earlier than the full planned duration, or no burn at all). Blue Origin did not announce a successful second burn or provide real-time updates at the scheduled times, and the webcast ended after booster landing. Payload separation still occurred, and AST SpaceMobile confirmed the satellite powered on and is communicating. Blue Origin's official statement (issued ~1 hour after scheduled separation). We have confirmed payload separation. AST SpaceMobile has confirmed the satellite has powered on. The payload was placed into an off-nominal orbit.

Actual orbit achieved (best public estimate from orbital analyst Jonathan McDowell, based on webcast trajectory data and observed altitude decay after SECO-1). ~116–164 km perigee × 380–420 km apogee (highly elliptical, low-perigee "transfer-like" orbit from the first second-stage burn only; exact numbers depend on the precise flight-path angle at cutoff, estimated at 0 to –1°). This is instead of the planned 460 km circular orbit. No confirmed SECO-2 (second cutoff) data has been released yet.

Booster recovery was a complete success. This was the first reflight of a New Glenn first stage. It landed perfectly on the droneship Jacklyn in the Atlantic ~10 minutes after liftoff — a major reusability milestone for Blue Origin.

Payload status (AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7), the ~6,100 kg satellite separated cleanly and powered on (confirmed healthy by both Blue Origin and AST SpaceMobile). However, the second stage underperformed and placed it into an off-nominal (lower-than-planned) orbit. The intended target was roughly ~460 km LEO. It ended up lower.


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