NEW GLENN FAILS EVEN WITH BOOSTER LANDING ON THE FERRY!
Video from the channel Cortes do Space Orbit about New Glenn, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 19:42. Language: Portuguese. Video type: News.
What's being reported
The video analyzes New Glenn's third launch, which carried BlueBird 7. It is a Block 2 satellite from AST SpaceMobile providing mobile coverage from space, weighing about 6 t with a 220 m² antenna. The first stage, "Never Tell Me the Odds," had already flown and landed on the second flight. This time it flew with all engines replaced and again landed safely on the sea platform. The payload, however, did not reach its planned orbit, and the host considers the mission a failure.
Context
The host explains that New Glenn climbs slowly because its thrust-to-weight ratio is low, around 1.2 by his estimate. The second stage, with two hydrogen/oxygen BE-3U engines, reached about 27,000 km/h and ended up in an elliptical orbit of 265 by 485 km. One burn to circularize the orbit was still missing. According to later tracking data, the satellite gained some speed, but not enough. With that perigee, a large, heavy satellite suffers atmospheric drag and re-enters within a short time. AST SpaceMobile declared it lost and unrecoverable.
What it means
Much of the video criticizes Blue Origin's communication. According to the host, the company kept publicizing the booster landing and, more than 24 hours later, still had not issued any statement about the loss of the customer's payload. He also warns that the second stage, weighing about 25 t, could be left uncontrolled in orbit. He compares it to the Long March 5 stages for which China was criticized.