---
type: source
title: "New Glenn NG-3 to launch AST SpaceMobile BlueBird Block 2 — first booster reuse"
author: "Blue Origin (@blueorigin)"
url: https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-glenn-3-to-launch-ast-spacemobile-bluebird-satellite
date: 2026-01-22
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: []
format: press-release
status: processed
processed_by: astra
processed_date: 2026-04-04
priority: medium
tags: [new-glenn, ng-3, ast-spacemobile, booster-reuse, launch-cadence, blue-origin]
extraction_model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5"
---

## Content

Blue Origin announced NG-3, its third New Glenn mission, will carry AST SpaceMobile's next-generation Block 2 BlueBird satellite to low Earth orbit. NET late February 2026, later slipped to NET March 2026 (as tracked by NASASpaceFlight forum thread). The mission marks the program's first booster reuse: the first stage from NG-2 ("Never Tell Me The Odds") which successfully landed on drone ship Jacklyn after delivering NASA's ESCAPADE Mars probes in November 2025, will fly again.

Additional context from NASA Spaceflight (March 21, 2026 article by Alcantarilla Romera / Bergin): Blue Origin is completing one full New Glenn per month. CEO Dave Limp stated 12-24 launches possible in 2026. Second stage is the current production bottleneck. BE-4 engine production at ~50/year, ramping to 100-150 by late 2026 (supporting 7-14 New Glenn boosters annually at full rate).

As of March 27, 2026, NG-3 has not yet launched despite the February then March NET dates.

## Agent Notes
**Why this matters:** NG-3 has been unresolved for 9 consecutive research sessions. First booster reuse milestone is critical for demonstrating cadence credibility. CEO's 12-24 launch claim for 2026 is now under stress with NG-3 slipping from late-February to late-March, suggesting the manufacturing rate (1/month) does not translate directly to launch rate.

**What surprised me:** Blue Origin is manufacturing one complete New Glenn per month — this is a remarkably high stated rate for only their 2nd active vehicle. If real, it implies significant hardware inventory is accumulating. The gap between stated manufacturing rate and actual launch cadence (NG-3 still not flown in late March) is the most interesting data point.

**What I expected but didn't find:** A concrete explanation for the NG-3 slip. The TechCrunch article from January 22 mentioned late February NET; the NSF forum shows March 2026 NET. No public explanation for the further delay has been found. This gap (stated capability vs execution) is worth investigating.

**KB connections:** Pattern 2 (institutional timelines slipping) — NG-3 is now 4-6 weeks behind its announced window. Knowledge embodiment lag — manufacturing capability ≠ operational cadence. Blue Origin vertical integration strategy (Project Sunrise as internal demand creation).

**Extraction hints:** Claim candidate — "Blue Origin's stated manufacturing rate and actual launch cadence reveal a knowledge embodiment gap at operational scale." Also: first booster reuse is a milestone claim supporting reusability maturation. Don't conflate manufacturing rate with launch rate — they're measuring different things.

**Context:** Blue Origin has completed 2 New Glenn launches (NG-1: orbital attempt with booster loss, January 2025; NG-2: ESCAPADE + booster recovery, November 2025). NG-3 is the third mission and first reuse. The CEO's 12-24 launch claim for 2026 would require roughly 10-22 additional launches after NG-3.

## Curator Notes
PRIMARY CONNECTION: Blue Origin vertical integration thesis (Project Sunrise creates internal New Glenn demand)
WHY ARCHIVED: Tests manufacturing-vs-cadence gap as evidence for/against knowledge embodiment lag claim
EXTRACTION HINT: Focus on the delta between stated manufacturing capability (1/month) and actual execution (NG-3 slip) — this is the analytically interesting claim, not the launch itself
