The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has announced that Blue Origin has been cleared to fly its New Glenn mega-rocket after an engine failure led to the loss of an AST SpaceMobile satellite in April. The incident occurred on 14 April when an engine failure caused the rocket to lose control, resulting in the loss of the satellite. Blue Origin has offered little detail on the incident, stating only that an engine failure was to blame.
The ONR's decision to clear Blue Origin to fly the New Glenn mega-rocket is likely to be welcomed by the company, which has been keen to get its rocket programme back on track following the incident. The New Glenn mega-rocket is a key part of Blue Origin's plans to provide satellite launch services to a range of customers.
Blue Origin is owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, and has been at the forefront of the development of private spaceflight technology. The company has been working on the New Glenn mega-rocket for several years, and has already conducted a number of successful test flights.
The ONR's decision to clear Blue Origin to fly the New Glenn mega-rocket comes as the UK's space industry continues to grow in size and importance. The industry is expected to play a key role in the UK's post-Brexit economic strategy, and the government has set a target of increasing the industry's size to £400bn by 2030.