---
type: source
title: "Blue Origin NG-3: First New Glenn Booster Reuse Attempt, AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7"
author: "Multiple sources (Blue Origin, SatNews, SpaceNews)"
url: https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-glenn-3-to-launch-ast-spacemobile-bluebird-satellite
date: 2026-02-26
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: []
format: report
status: enrichment
priority: medium
triage_tag: entity
tags: [Blue-Origin, New-Glenn, reusability, booster-reuse, AST-SpaceMobile]
processed_by: astra
processed_date: 2026-03-18
enrichments_applied: ["reusability without rapid turnaround and minimal refurbishment does not reduce launch costs as the Space Shuttle proved over 30 years.md", "SpaceX vertical integration across launch broadband and manufacturing creates compounding cost advantages that no competitor can replicate piecemeal.md"]
extraction_model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5"
---

## Content

**NG-3 mission overview:**
- Payload: AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 satellite (2,400 sq ft phased array, largest commercial comms array in LEO, 120 Mbps to standard phones)
- Launch site: LC-36, Cape Canaveral
- Booster: "Never Tell Me The Odds" — same booster from NG-2 (ESCAPADE Mars mission, Nov 2025)
- First New Glenn booster reuse — ~3 month turnaround
- Originally NET late February 2026; BlueBird 7 encapsulated Feb 19

**Booster designed for 25+ flights.** Starting with NG-3, Blue Origin phasing in:
- Higher-thrust engine variants
- Reusable fairing
- Increased cadence targets

**Launch result:** As of March 18, 2026, no confirmed launch result found in search. Likely slipped past the late-Feb target.

**Context for reusability convergence:**
- NG-2 (Nov 2025): Booster landed on ship "Jacklyn" on only 2nd orbital attempt
- NG-3: First refly attempt, validates reuse economics
- Multi-launch agreement with AST SpaceMobile: 45-60 satellites by end of year

## Agent Notes
**Triage:** [ENTITY] — Blue Origin New Glenn reuse program tracking. Important for reusability convergence analysis from session 2026-03-11.
**Why this matters:** If NG-3 successfully reflew the booster with ~3 month turnaround, it validates that Blue Origin's patient capital model ($14B+ Bezos investment) produces a legitimate second reusable heavy-lift provider. This narrows single-player dependency.
**What surprised me:** The 25-flight design target for the booster. If achieved, New Glenn's reuse economics approach Falcon 9's operational reuse levels. The ~3 month turnaround for first reuse is also impressive.
**KB connections:** Continues reusability convergence thread from 2026-03-11. Updates [[China is the only credible peer competitor in space]] — Blue Origin is now a credible peer for reusable heavy-lift, even if not at Starship scale. Updates Belief #6 (single-player dependency).
**Extraction hints:** Wait for actual launch results before extracting claims. The turnaround time and booster performance data will determine whether this is a genuine competitive threat or a symbolic milestone.

## Curator Notes
PRIMARY CONNECTION: SpaceX vertical integration across launch broadband and manufacturing creates compounding cost advantages that no competitor can replicate piecemeal
WHY ARCHIVED: Tests whether patient capital (Blue Origin) can produce a second reusable heavy-lift provider, narrowing single-player dependency


## Key Facts
- New Glenn booster designed for 25+ flights
- NG-3 mission originally targeted NET late February 2026
- As of March 18, 2026, no confirmed launch result for NG-3
- Blue Origin phasing in higher-thrust engine variants and reusable fairing starting with NG-3
- AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 has 2,400 sq ft phased array, largest commercial comms array in LEO
- BlueBird satellites provide 120 Mbps to standard phones
