New Glenn

Blue Origin's orbital heavy-lift rocket is back in return-to-flight watch after NG-3 proved booster reuse but exposed the upper-stage fix list for the next campaign.

Vehicle

New Glenn 7x2

7 BE-4 / 2 BE-3U

Launch site

LC-36

Cape Canaveral SFS

FAA state

Authorized

Corrective actions before flight

Window

Target pending

Awaiting official payload, window, and mission page

Latest flight

NG-3 return review

FAA closed

Next campaign

NG-4 return-to-flight

Awaiting official payload, window, and mission page

Campaign readiness

53%

53%Ready

Checklist

7/15

47% of public gates closed

Return-to-flight watch

NG-3 is closed with the FAA. The next proof is a clean upper stage.

The FAA closed the April 19, 2026 NG-3 mishap investigation on May 22, citing a cryogenic leak that froze a hydraulic line and produced a second-stage thrust anomaly. Blue Origin identified nine corrective actions, and New Glenn can return to flight once those actions and normal licensing requirements are satisfied.

FAA statement Vehicle manifest

FAA closed

May 22, 2026

Cause

Cryogenic leak

Fix list

9 actions

NG-4 Return Path

Public gates that move New Glenn from cleared-to-fly into real launch-watch mode.

01Done

Investigation closed

FAA accepted the NG-3 mishap report and authorized return to flight, with corrective-action verification still required.

02Now

Fix verification

Blue Origin must implement and verify nine corrective actions tied to the upper-stage cryogenic leak and thrust anomaly.

03Next

NG-4 assignment

The next public payload, target orbit, and real launch window need to replace placeholder manifest dates.

04Watch

Pad and range

Rollout, tanking, range notices, recovery-zone assets, and livestream publication move the page into launch-watch mode.

What The Next Flight Has To Prove

New Glenn has orbital reach and booster reuse evidence; the pressure now sits on upper-stage reliability and customer delivery.

Primary

Return-to-flight upper stage

The next flight has to show that the NG-3 second-stage corrective actions protect target-orbit delivery.

Corrective actions verified before launch
BE-3U start and burn remain stable through the mission profile
Hydraulic and cryogenic systems stay healthy during coast and restart phases
Payload reaches the planned orbit without a deorbit-only recovery plan

Primary

Preserve booster reuse momentum

NG-2 and NG-3 turned first-stage recovery from aspiration into flight evidence; the next campaign needs to keep that record clean.

Seven BE-4 engines start cleanly and clear LC-36
Booster separation and entry guidance stay nominal
Landing burn converges on the assigned platform
Post-landing data supports another refurbishment cycle

Secondary

Customer payload confidence

The program needs a clean payload handoff after BlueBird 7 separated and powered on but could not sustain operations from its too-low orbit.

Customer payload completes processing and encapsulation
Seven-meter fairing separation occurs on the planned timeline
Deployment sequence matches the customer orbit and attitude needs
Post-deploy telemetry confirms the spacecraft is in a useful orbit

Program

Cadence and manifest recovery

Blue Origin's 2026 opportunity depends on converting return-to-flight clearance into repeatable pad flow for commercial, civil, and lunar missions.

Show the next stack moving through LC-36 without a long reset
Keep Amazon Leo, AST SpaceMobile, and Blue Moon paths credible
Demonstrate refurbishment work can support a practical cadence
Publish clear mission pages before launch-day operations

New Glenn Flight Log

Three orbital launches, newest first, with booster and payload outcomes separated.

NG-3

NG-3 / BlueBird 7

Booster success / payload orbit failure

The reused NG-2 booster landed again, but BlueBird 7 reached a lower-than-planned orbit and is being deorbited after an upper-stage thrust anomaly.

Sunday, April 19, 2026 · 11:25 AM UTCNew Glenn 7x2LC-36

NG-2

NG-2 / ESCAPADE

Full mission success

New Glenn deployed NASA's ESCAPADE twin spacecraft to their loiter orbit and landed the first stage on Jacklyn.

Thursday, November 13, 2025 · 08:55 PM UTCNew Glenn 7x2LC-36

NG-1

Orbital success / booster lost

New Glenn reached its intended orbit with Blue Ring Pathfinder; the first-stage landing attempt failed after a reentry-burn restart issue.

Thursday, January 16, 2025 · 07:03 AM UTCNew Glenn 7x2LC-36

Readiness Signals

FAA posture

76%

RTF authorized

The FAA closed the NG-3 mishap investigation on May 22, 2026 and authorized New Glenn to return to flight once other licensing requirements are met.

Upper stage

52%

Fix verification

The next campaign needs evidence that Blue Origin has implemented the nine corrective actions tied to the NG-3 second-stage thrust anomaly.

Booster reuse

82%

Landed twice

Never Tell Me The Odds landed on NG-2, then returned on NG-3 and landed again after the first New Glenn booster reuse.

Payload

38%

NG-4 unconfirmed

Public manifests point to Amazon Leo, AST SpaceMobile, and Blue Moon demand, but the next dated mission still needs an official payload and window.

Pad

46%

Return flow

LC-36 remains the active New Glenn site; rollout, tanking, and wet-dress activity will be the clearest public sign that NG-4 is near.

Media/range

24%

Awaiting window

Eastern Range notices, recovery-zone advisories, weather, and an official livestream are still pending for the next public attempt.

Return-To-Flight Flow

NG-1 reached orbit

Operations

The January 16, 2025 debut mission placed Blue Ring Pathfinder in its planned medium Earth orbit.

NG-1 booster mishap closed

Regulatory

The FAA closed the NG-1 booster-loss investigation after Blue Origin identified corrective actions before NG-2.

NG-2 deployed ESCAPADE

Operations

New Glenn delivered NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft to the designated loiter orbit on November 13, 2025.

First booster landing

Operations

The NG-2 first stage landed on Jacklyn, proving New Glenn's downrange booster recovery path.

First booster reuse

Operations

NG-3 reused the NG-2 first stage and landed it again after launch.

NG-3 anomaly identified

Regulatory

The FAA accepted a finding that a cryogenic leak froze a hydraulic line and led to a thrust anomaly during the second-stage burn.

NG-3 investigation closed

Regulatory

The FAA closed the NG-3 mishap investigation on May 22, 2026 with no public injuries or public property damage reported.

Corrective actions implemented

Testing

Blue Origin still needs the nine NG-3 corrective actions verified before the next New Glenn mission.

Next payload publicly assigned

Operations

The next mission needs an official payload, customer, target orbit, and launch window rather than placeholder manifest dates.

Payload processing complete

Hardware

Payload handoff, checkout, and encapsulation need to close before the stack can enter final pad flow.

Integrated vehicle rollout

Operations

A full New Glenn stack must roll to LC-36 for visible prelaunch operations.

Propellant rehearsal

Testing

Tanking or wet-dress activity validates the pad, vehicle, and revised upper-stage systems before flight.

Range and recovery notices

Regulatory

Eastern Range, airspace, marine, and downrange recovery-zone notices need to line up with the target window.

Recovery platform ready

Operations

Jacklyn or the assigned recovery asset must be positioned and ready if the mission includes a landing attempt.

Official livestream

Media

Blue Origin needs to publish the mission page or webcast before the page can move into launch-watch mode.

Program Links

Blue Origin New Glenn NG-1 mission page NG-2 ESCAPADE recap NG-3 mission announcement FAA NG-3 investigation close AST BlueBird 7 outcome Launch manifest New Glenn