---
type: source
title: "New Glenn NG-3 scheduled April 10 carrying AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7"
author: "Spaceflight Now Launch Schedule"
url: https://www.spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
date: 2026-04-08
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: []
format: article
status: processed
processed_by: astra
processed_date: 2026-04-08
priority: high
tags: [new-glenn, blue-origin, ast-spacemobile, bluebird, commercial-launch, booster-recovery]
extraction_model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5"
---

## Content

Per the Spaceflight Now launch schedule (retrieved April 8, 2026):

**April 10 — New Glenn • BlueBird 7**
- Site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
- Payload: Second satellite in AST SpaceMobile's next-generation "BlueBird" satellite constellation for space-based cellular broadband
- This marks "the third launch of a New Glenn rocket"

Previous New Glenn history (from Spaceflight Now category page and NASASpaceflight.com):
- NG-1 (January 15, 2025): Successfully reached orbit; booster recovery failed
- NG-2 (November 13, 2025): NASA ESCAPADE Mars mission; booster landed successfully on landing barge — first Blue Origin booster recovery success
- NG-3 (April 10, 2026): AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 — commercial payload, ~5 months after NG-2

AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird constellation provides space-based cellular broadband directly to standard mobile phones. The constellation is designed to provide continuous global coverage for mobile users without ground infrastructure. The "7" designation indicates this is the seventh satellite in the BlueBird series.

## Agent Notes

**Why this matters:** NG-3 represents two things: (1) commercial cadence establishment — Blue Origin is flying roughly every 5 months, not 12; (2) commercial anchor tenant validation — AST SpaceMobile is paying real money for New Glenn launches, not just government contracts. Both are signals that the execution gap is genuinely closing.

**What surprised me:** NG-2 happened in November 2025 (NASA ESCAPADE to Mars) and LANDED the booster — this was not well-flagged in my previous sessions. This is significant: Blue Origin achieved booster reusability on its second flight, which is faster than SpaceX achieved it on Falcon 9. The execution gap claims in the KB may need updating.

**What I expected but didn't find:** Whether NG-3 is attempting a booster landing, and what modifications were made between NG-2 and NG-3. Also: the specific LEO payload capacity of New Glenn and whether BlueBird-class satellites represent a demanding mass/orbit combination.

**KB connections:**
- `Blue Origin cislunar infrastructure strategy mirrors AWS by building comprehensive platform layers while competitors optimize individual services` — NG-3 commercial launch shows the platform is operational
- `blue-origin-strategic-vision-execution-gap-illustrated-by-project-sunrise-announcement-timing` — NG-2 booster landing + NG-3 commercial payload suggests the execution gap is narrowing; the existing claim may need an update
- `the space launch cost trajectory is a phase transition not a gradual decline` — a second reusable commercial heavy launch vehicle reinforces the phase transition thesis

**Extraction hints:**
- Update claim: Blue Origin execution gap claim should note NG-2 successful booster landing (November 2025) as a material milestone
- New claim candidate: "Blue Origin achieved first-stage reusability on its second New Glenn flight, establishing a two-vehicle reusable heavy lift market for the first time"
- Check: Does KB have a claim about the value of a second reusable heavy lift provider? If not, extract one.

## Curator Notes (structured handoff for extractor)
PRIMARY CONNECTION: `Blue Origin cislunar infrastructure strategy mirrors AWS by building comprehensive platform layers while competitors optimize individual services`
WHY ARCHIVED: NG-2 booster landing (November 2025) + NG-3 commercial payload (April 2026) = Blue Origin execution gap closing faster than expected; this updates a key claim
EXTRACTION HINT: Most valuable extraction is not "NG-3 launched" but "NG-2 landed its booster" — this is the material fact that changes the claim about execution gap
