New Glenn Rocket Launch Approved by FAA After Investigation

Blue Origin is now able to finalize plans for the next flight of the New Glenn rocket, following approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA had previously grounded the rocket after its third mission failed to successfully place its payload into orbit. Recently, Blue Origin announced via a post on X that the FAA approved its comprehensive report regarding the flight and accepted the corrective measures implemented by the company. In the post, Blue Origin stated, “NG-4 preparations continue — updates coming soon,” indicating excitement for the upcoming launch.

In April, Blue Origin successfully reused the first-stage booster of New Glenn for its third mission (NG-3). The initial stages of the launch went smoothly until it was time to deploy the AST SpaceMobile satellite. Unfortunately, Blue Origin reported that the vehicle placed the satellite “into an off-nominal orbit.” AST SpaceMobile later clarified that while the satellite did separate from the rocket, its operational altitude was too low for its on-board thruster technology, resulting in its eventual de-orbiting.

The FAA subsequently grounded New Glenn, labeling the incident a “mishap,” and initiated an investigation to “determine the root cause of the event and identify corrective actions.” Following the incident, Blue Origin’s CEO, Dave Limp, indicated that preliminary data suggested a problem during the second burn of the rocket’s upper stage, where one of the BE-3U engines failed to generate sufficient thrust to achieve the intended orbit. Blue Origin’s recent update on X reiterated this issue, stating, “Prior to our second GS2 burn, we experienced an off-nominal thermal condition, and, as a result, one of the BE-3U engines didn’t achieve full thrust to reach our target orbit.”

The FAA’s final report identified the direct cause of the mishap as a cryogenic leak that caused a hydraulic line to freeze, leading to a thrust anomaly during the second-stage engine burn. Since the issue was identified, Blue Origin has implemented nine corrective actions to prevent a recurrence of the incident. Although the timeline for NG-4 has not yet been disclosed, Limp recently shared a video showcasing the New Glenn’s transporter erector, indicating that preparations for integrated hotfire testing are underway, likely in anticipation of the next mission.

Fun video showcasing “No, It’s Necessary” lifting on the Transporter Erector. Next stop integrated hotfire. “Never Tell Me The Odds” is in the house, too (well into it’s refurb cycle) pic.twitter.com/HnQO31inoq

— Dave Limp (@davill) May 22, 2026