FAA grounds Blue Origin's New Glenn after orbital setback

FAA grounds Blue Origin's flagship New Glenn rocket for investigation following a critical upper-stage malfunction during its debut orbital flight. | Contesto: cronaca

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• FAA grounds Blue Origin's New Glenn after orbital setback

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In a significant setback for one of the world's most prominent private space ventures, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. The order, issued following the vehicle's inaugural orbital launch attempt, mandates a formal investigation into a malfunction of the rocket's upper stage. The directive effectively halts all further flights of the heavy-lift launch vehicle until Blue Origin, the space company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, identifies the root cause and the FAA approves corrective actions. The regulatory action stems from the New Glenn's long-awaited and closely watched debut mission from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. While the rocket's first stage, powered by seven BE-4 engines, performed nominally through stage separation, the mission encountered a critical anomaly after the second stage ignited. Telemetry indicated the upper stage failed to achieve the necessary velocity or trajectory to deliver its payload—a pair of NASA technology demonstration satellites—into the intended orbit. The FAA's standard post-mishap investigation process was triggered automatically by the flight outcome. For Blue Origin, the grounding represents a major operational and reputational hurdle. The New Glenn project, named for astronaut John Glenn, has been in development for nearly a decade and is central to the company's strategy to compete for lucrative national security and commercial satellite launch contracts. The rocket is designed to be a direct competitor to SpaceX's Falcon Heavy and United Launch Alliance's forthcoming Vulcan Centaur. A prolonged stand-down could jeopardize Blue Origin's manifest, which includes missions for NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and private satellite operator Eutelsat. The investigation will focus on the intricate systems of the New Glenn's second stage, which is powered by two vacuum-optimized BE-3U engines. Engineers will scrutinize telemetry, recovered hardware if possible, and manufacturing records to determine whether the failure originated in propulsion, avionics, structural integrity, or a guidance software issue. The process is exhaustive; the company must submit a...

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Categoria: cronaca