The rocket company Jeff Bezos, Blue Originon Monday blamed a failed engine for a botched launch over the weekend that left a satellite in the wrong orbit, condemning it.
The launches of the huge rocket New Glenn are paralyzed until Blue Origin and the Federal Aviation Administration conclude their investigation.
The rocket took off on Sunday from the Cape Canaveral Space Station. The recycled first stage performed well and landed on an ocean barge within minutes of flight. However, the upper stage was not able to place the satellite into a high enough orbit to begin operations.
Preliminary data indicates that one of the upper stage engines did not produce enough thrust, Blue Origin’s CEO said on Monday. Dave Lim.
It was not immediately known when or where the upper stage of the rocket or the AST satellite might plummet through the atmosphere. SpaceMobile. The satellite was to join AST SpaceMobile’s in-orbit satellite network, designed to provide direct smart phone service from space.
It was only the third flight of New Glenn, Blue Origin’s huge rocket to put spacecraft into orbit. The POT is counting on New Glenn to launch the Artemis lunar program’s Blue Moon landings. The Starship of SpaceX It is also in the race to land astronauts on the moon in 2028.
The rocket, more than 98 meters high, is named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962.
This story was translated from English to Spanish with an artificial intelligence tool and was reviewed by an editor before publication.