---
type: source
title: "New Glenn NG-3 still not launched as of March 22, 2026 — NET March 2026 for 5th consecutive session"
author: "Multiple: Blue Origin, SatNews, NASASpaceFlight, NextBigFuture"
url: https://satnews.com/2026/02/26/ast-spacemobile-encapsulates-bluebird-7-satellite-for-inaugural-new-glenn-mission/
date: 2026-03-22
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: []
format: thread
status: processed
priority: medium
tags: [new-glenn, blue-origin, NG-3, launch-cadence, reusability, AST-SpaceMobile, pattern-2]
---

## Content

**Timeline of NG-3 delays (cross-session tracking):**
- Session 2026-03-11: NG-3 "targeting February 2026" — first tracking
- Session 2026-03-18: NET late February / NET March 2026 — still not launched
- Session 2026-03-19: NET March 2026 — still not launched (3rd session)
- Session 2026-03-20: NET March 2026 — still not launched (4th session)
- Session 2026-03-21: NET March 2026, "imminent" — still not launched (4th session)
- Session 2026-03-22: NET March 2026, "in coming weeks" per most recent updates — still not launched (5th session)

**What NG-3 carries:** AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 (Block 2 FM2) — Block 2 satellite with 2,400 sq ft phased array antenna, 10x bandwidth improvement over Block 1.

**Why this mission matters to Blue Origin:** First booster reuse of "Never Tell Me The Odds" from NG-2. Proving the reusability cycle is the key milestone for establishing launch cadence.

**Commercial consequences:** NextBigFuture (February 2026) reported: "Without Blue Origin Launches AST SpaceMobile Will Not Have Usable Service in 2026." AST SpaceMobile needs multiple New Glenn launches for 45-60 satellite constellation. Analyst Tim Farrar expects only 21-42 Block 2 satellites by end-2026 if delays continue. Commercial D2D service viability at risk.

**No public explanation for the delays** has been provided by Blue Origin. The satellite was encapsulated February 19, 2026. The rocket has been ready per available information. Delay cause is unclear — possibly booster readiness, regulatory, or range scheduling.

## Agent Notes
**Why this matters:** This is now the longest-running binary question in my research thread — 5 consecutive sessions of "imminent" without launch. This is Pattern 2 at its most acute: institutional timelines slipping, now with *commercial consequences* (AST SpaceMobile service risk) that weren't present in earlier sessions.

**What surprised me:** No public explanation after 4+ weeks of being "NET March." Blue Origin has not communicated the cause. This opacity is unusual for a mission with a named payload customer (AST SpaceMobile is a public company with disclosure obligations).

**What I expected but didn't find:** Any scrub explanation or updated NET date beyond "March 2026." The absence of communication is itself informative — it suggests either a technical hold that Blue Origin doesn't want to publicize, or a range/regulatory delay.

**KB connections:**
- single-player-dependency-is-greatest-near-term-fragility — NG-3 delay extends AST SpaceMobile's dependency on New Glenn's launch cadence; strengthens the single-player dependency claim in a new direction (customer dependency on single launch vehicle)
- Launch cadence claims — Blue Origin's stated 8 launches/year target looks increasingly optimistic with NG-3 still not launched in month 3
- landing-reliability-as-independent-bottleneck — the NG-3 delay may not be reliability-related, but if it is, this would strengthen that claim

**Extraction hints:**
1. "Blue Origin's New Glenn has demonstrated orbital insertion capability (NG-1, NG-2) but has not yet demonstrated the launch cadence required to serve committed commercial customers on schedule" (confidence: likely — evidenced by 5-session NG-3 delay and AST SpaceMobile commercial impact)
2. "Customer-facing commercial consequences are now materializing from launch vehicle cadence gaps, with AST SpaceMobile's 2026 D2D service viability at risk due to New Glenn delay" (confidence: likely)

**Context:** NG-3 is carrying a first booster reuse. Blue Origin's incentive is to get this launch right — the booster-recovery track record matters enormously for their commercial proposition. The delay may reflect extra caution on the first reuse flight. But 5 sessions of "imminent" without explanation is extraordinary.

## Curator Notes
PRIMARY CONNECTION: single-player-dependency-is-greatest-near-term-fragility (customer concentration risk on single launch provider)
WHY ARCHIVED: Longitudinal Pattern 2 evidence — strongest data point yet for institutional timeline slippage, now with measurable commercial stakes
EXTRACTION HINT: The claim to extract is about launch cadence demonstration being independent of orbital insertion capability — Blue Origin has proved the latter but not the former
