Blue Origin prepares new Glenn rocket to launch 48 Amazon Leo satellites after FAA approval

Five weeks after witnessing the first launch failure, Kent, Wash.-based Blue Origin is preparing to put its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket to launch 48 satellites into low-Earth orbit for the growing Amazon Leo constellation.

This mission, designated as NG-4 rocket and LN-01 payload, will mark the first time Blue Origin rockets have launched Amazon satellites – creating a new connection between the two well-known companies founded by Jeff Bezos. It will also set a new high for the number of Leo broadband satellites launched in a single mission.

“I couldn’t be more proud to support the Leo team on this project,” said Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp in an email to X. Before joining Blue Origin in 2023, Limp was an Amazon executive in charge of the Amazon Leo program (when it was known as Project Kuiper).

This will be the fourth launch of the New Glenn rocket. The NG-4 first-stage booster is nicknamed “No, It’s Necessary” — a line from the movie “Interstellar” that refers to the need for daring maneuvers into space.

New Glenn was grounded after last month’s failed launch of the AST SpaceMobile satellite from Florida. But last week, the Federal Aviation Administration said it accepted the findings of the investigation led by Blue Origin. The investigation says the disaster was caused by a cryogenic leak that froze the hydraulic line, which led to a thrust anomaly when the second stage engine was hot.

Blue Origin has identified nine corrective measures to prevent the error from happening again, and the FAA has authorized the company to return to the aircraft. An FAA consultant suggested the launch could be made as early as next week.

Amazon Leo currently has just over 300 satellites in orbit, with thousands more to be launched over the next three years. Under the terms of its initial license from the Federal Communications Commission, more than 1,600 satellites were supposed to launch by June 30, but Amazon is seeking an extension of that two-year deadline.

So far, the majority of satellites have been launched by United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rockets, but the pace of launches is expected to double next year as heavy-lift rockets including New Glenn, ULA’s Vulcan and Arianespace’s Ariane 6 come into service. Amazon says it has 24 New Glenn rocket launches lined up for satellite launches.

Amazon Leo aims to launch phases of its satellite broadband internet service as soon as this summer, starting in the mid-north and mid-south. It is expected to increase as more satellites are launched. Leo has not yet announced prices for its service.

SpaceX’s Starlink network currently dominates the satellite broadband market, with more than 10,000 satellites in low Earth orbit and more than 12 million subscribers. SpaceX also serves as the launch provider for Amazon Leo, showing how even competitors can be partners in the space industry.

In other developments:

• Amazon revealed more details on its Globalstar acquisition plan and its direct-to-device satellite constellation this week in a filing with the FCC. The plan, which requires FCC approval, calls for Apple to transfer its 20% stake in Globalstar to Amazon (via its newly formed subsidiary called “Grapefruit”). Globalstar’s infrastructure and its satellite service licenses will be transferred to Amazon, and Amazon will apply for a license to operate a D2D satellite system designed for mobile connectivity. This plan will be compatible with the broadband service provided by Amazon Leo. When the $10.8 billion acquisition deal was announced last month, Amazon said the deal was expected to close in 2027.
• The FAA said it will oversee an investigation into the flight test of SpaceX’s Starship V3 rocket. During the test, the rocket’s Super Heavy advanced first stage engines failed to fire properly after the stage separated in what was intended to be a controlled descent and splashdown. As a result, the booster crashed in its re-entry into the atmosphere and broke up, the debris falling into the Gulf of Mexico. Starship’s return to flight will be based on the FAA determining that any system, process or procedure related to the disaster will not affect public safety.