Blue Origin has officially been cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration to resume flight operations for its New Glenn mega-rocket. The regulatory approval follows a brief grounding period initiated after an upper-stage anomaly occurred during an April mission, which resulted in the loss of a commercial satellite payload belonging to AST SpaceMobile.

In a statement regarding the incident, the company attributed the failure to an off-nominal thermal condition that caused one of the rocket’s three engines to underperform. While the satellite was lost upon re-entering the atmosphere, AST SpaceMobile confirmed that the asset was fully insured. Blue Origin conducted a thorough internal investigation and submitted a comprehensive report to the FAA, outlining specific corrective measures taken to prevent a recurrence of the technical issue.

Despite the setback, the mission marked a significant milestone for the company, as it successfully demonstrated the reuse of the New Glenn booster stage, which landed safely on an ocean-based drone ship. With the regulatory clearance now secured, Blue Origin is looking to maintain its ambitious launch cadence. The company has previously stated its intent to conduct up to 12 launches by the end of 2026, and the recent resolution of the FAA investigation allows the team to refocus on these long-term operational goals.