Blue Origin Schedules Third New Glenn Launch for Late February, But Not to the Moon

Blue Origin Schedules Third New Glenn Launch for Late February, But Not to the Moon

New Glenn Launch Date Set for February 2026—But Moon Mission Delayed Blue Origin has officially scheduled the third flight of its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket for late February 2026—but it won’t be heading to the moon as many anticipated. Instead, the mission will deploy a commercial communications satellite for AST SpaceMobile into low-Earth orbit. This marks the second time New Glenn has carried a paying customer’s payload, signaling growing confidence in the once-delayed rocket after just over a year of operational flights. Credit: Blue Origin The originally rumored lunar mission involving Blue Origin’s robotic Blue Moon Mark 1 lander has been postponed indefinitely, with the lander now undergoing vacuum testing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. While the company hasn’t publicly explained the shift in priorities, the decision underscores the complex realities of spaceflight scheduling—and the strategic value of fulfilling commercial contracts on time. Why This New Glenn Flight …