Launches / New Glenn

Past launch Failed

BlueBird 7 (Block 2 #2)

New Glenn, flown by Blue Origin

New Glenn lifting off with the BlueBird 7 (Block 2 #2) mission
Image via The Space Devs.

This was Blue Origin's 2nd launch of 2026, and its 41st in all.

Counting every operator, it was the 90th orbital launch attempt anywhere in 2026, and the first from Launch Complex 36A.

Launched
Sunday, April 19, 2026, 11:25 a.m. UTC
Window
Sunday, April 19, 2026, 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. UTC
Launch site
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Rocket
New Glenn
Operator
Blue Origin
Weather
90% favorableCumulus cloud rule, thick cloud layers rule
Failure
AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 successfully launched on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, but was placed into an unusable lower orbit and will be deorbited despite the booster landing successfully.

Watch the webcast →

The mission

AST SpaceMobile’s Block 2 BlueBird satellites are designed to deliver up to 10 times the bandwidth capacity of the BlueBird Block 1 satellites, required to achieve 24/7 continuous cellular broadband service coverage in the United States, with beams designed to support a capacity of up to 40 MHz, enabling peak data transmission speeds up to 120 Mbps, supporting voice, full data and video applications. The Block 2 BlueBirds, featuring as large as 2400 square foot communications arrays, will be the largest satellites ever commercially deployed in Low Earth orbit once launched. This launch will feature 1 satellite, BlueBird 7/BlueBird Block 2 FM2.

Type
Communications
Destination
Low Earth orbit

The rocket

The New Glenn is a privately funded orbital launch vehicle in development by Blue Origin. New Glenn is described as a 7-meter-diameter (23 ft), two- or three-stage rocket.

Height
98 m
Built by
Blue Origin
First flew
January 16, 2025
Lifts to low Earth orbit
45,000 kg
View 4 specifications Show less
Lifts to geostationary transfer
13,000 kg
Diameter
7 m
Thrust at liftoff
17,126 kN
Stages
2

3 flights, 2 of them successful. 2 boosters brought back from 3 attempts.

blueorigin.com → Wikipedia →

The operator

Blue Origin

Blue Origin is an American privately funded aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos with its headquarters in Kent, Washington. The company is developing technologies to enable private human access to space with the goal to dramatically lower costs and increase reliability. Blue Origin currently launches its New Shepard sub-orbital vehicle from its West Texas launch site, they are currently constructing a launch pad for their orbital vehicle New Glenn at Cape Canaveral LC-36.

Sector
Commercial
Based in
USA
Founded
2000
Run by
Jeff Bezos, CEO

41 launches so far, 39 of them successful.

blueorigin.com → Wikipedia →

The launch site

It went up from Launch Complex 36A at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

See the pad on a map →

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