Objects seen burning in the sky over Laamu atoll this morning are believed to be debris from a failed satellite deployment linked to billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin mission.
The incident comes after Blue Origin successfully launched its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday at 11:25am GMT (4:25pm local time). While the booster stage completed a successful landing, the mission failed to place its payload into the correct orbit.
The burning objects falling over the ocean in Laamu atoll, yesterday which is believed to be consistent with spacecraft re-entry debris.
The rocket was carrying the BlueBird 7 communications satellite, developed by AST SpaceMobile as part of its planned space-based mobile network.
According to the company, the satellite separated and powered on, but was deployed into an orbit significantly lower than intended. This left it unable to use its propulsion system to reach a stable orbit.
AST SpaceMobile confirmed the mission was unsuccessful and said the satellite would not be able to complete its intended operations. It has since been deliberately deorbited in a controlled manner.
The company said the satellite was guided toward re-entry over a broad ocean area, where it would burn up upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
If the mission had been successful, Bluebird 7 would have been the eighth satellite launched by AST SpaceMobile into low Earth orbit. The launch forms part of the company’s broader plan to build the world’s first space-based cellular network, aimed at providing direct broadband connectivity to standard mobile phones worldwide.
According to the company, any financial losses from the failed deployment are expected to be covered by insurance.
Despite the setback, AST SpaceMobile said satellite production is continuing as planned. The Bluebird 8 to 10 satellites are expected to be ready for launch within the next 30 days, with the company targeting bi-monthly launches by the end of the year.
AST SpaceMobile is currently manufacturing satellites up to the Bluebird 32 series and aims to deploy around 45 satellites into orbit by year-end.
