Note: Go here for more Earth Day images from NASA.
Happy Earth Day!
De-orbit is a Polite Word for the End of Bluebird 7
Sunday’s failed satellite launch by Blue Origin will have a number of repercussions.
- Rocket Company Issues: Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket will be grounded while the Federal Aviation Administration investigates the matter.
- Satellite Company Issues: AST, the owner of the Bluebird 7 satellite placed in the wrong orbit, will now need to “de-orbit” its satellite. This means the satellite will be burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere. It also means that the roll out of AST SpaceMobile will be delayed, which has impacted the company’s stock.
- Artemis Issues: The timeline for Artemis III, where NASA tests the lunar landers, may need to be delayed, at least for Blue Origin. Of course, SpaceX is having its own problems getting its Starship ready.
- Astronomy Issues: The Bluebird satellites have been controversial because of their large size. This will only add to the growing light pollution from orbiting satellites that impact ground-based astronomers. So, in this case, with the loss of Bluebird 7 the astronomers get a reprieve for now.
So, three negative outcomes and one position outcome. A turnaround on all of these issues will take time, including the design of the satellite itself. While it appears each generation of the Bluebird satellite is getting larger, this could be a fixable problem given that AST stated it is willing to work with the National Science Foundation to limit the damage to the night sky.
Plenty of issues arising out of one launch.
Stay tuned.
Space Stories: Blue Origin Brings Satellite to Wrong Orbit, Space Force Preparing for Moon Base, and Japan Refocuses After Deletion of Lunar Gateway
Here are some recent space-related stories.
—Associated Press: “Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket is Grounded After Launching Satellite into the Wrong Orbit“
Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, blamed a bad engine Monday for a failed weekend launch that left a satellite in the wrong orbit, dooming it. Launches of the huge New Glenn rocket are grounded until Blue Origin and the Federal Aviation Administration complete their investigation.The rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday. The recycled first-stage booster performed well, landing on an ocean barge several minutes into the flight. But the upper stage was unable to put the satellite into a high enough orbit to begin operations.
—Breaking Defense: “With Eyes on Future NASA Moon Base, Space Force Launches Cislunar Acquisition Task Force“
The Space Force is launching a new acquisition task force to study how the Defense Department should move into cislunar space as it looks to support a planned NASA moon base, according to Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, senior advisor to Air Force Secretary Troy Mink for space acquisition. “We’re going to stand up a Cislunar Coordination Office on the Space Force acquisition side,” he told the annual Space Symposium here on April 15, who said the new office will bring together program managers and engineers to “build road maps” for “acquiring the necessary technology and a schedule for action.”
—South China Morning Post: “Japan to Focus on Lunar Rover After US Halts Moon Space Station“
A US move to freeze the Lunar Gateway orbiting space station could render Japan’s new technologies redundant – but its space agency is expected to be diplomatic in its response. The Lunar Gateway project was initially planned as an installation that would orbit the moon as part of the United States’ Artemis programme, which recently made headlines for a record-breaking journey that went deeper into space than anyone had ever flown before…On March 24, however, Nasa announced it was freezing the project to focus on the construction of a base on the lunar surface, with future crewed missions to Mars in mind…The agency is now expected to focus all its attention on the third element of its collaboration with Nasa, the pressurised lunar rover that is being developed with Toyota to allow astronauts to drive on the moon.
Space Quote: Voyager 1 Still Going, but with One Less Instrument
“While shutting down a science instrument is not anybody’s preference, it is the best option available…Voyager 1 still has two remaining operating science instruments — one that listens to plasma waves and one that measures magnetic fields. They are still working great, sending back data from a region of space no other human-made craft has ever explored. The team remains focused on keeping both Voyagers going for as long as possible.”
–Statement by Kareem Badaruddin, Voyager mission manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, regarding NASA’s decision to shut down the Low-energy Charged Particles experiment (LECP). The instrument measures low-energy charged particles, such as ions, electrons, and cosmic rays, helping NASA to better understand the region of space where Voyager 1 is located. The LECP was turned of on Voyager 2 back in March 2025.
House Report: Budget Issues at NASA
A new released minority staff report from the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, titled MISSION ABORTED: How NASA Illegally Implemented the President’s Budget Request Without Congressional Approval, has a few issues with the budget process at NASA.
Here is the main point from the report’s executive summary:
In 2025, NASA implemented the President’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2026 instead of the laws duly enacted by Congress. NASA leaders denied this fact repeatedly during the summer and fall of 2025. But the evidence gathered by Committee Staff says otherwise. Without authorization or direction from Congress, and in violation of the basic separation-of-powers framework set forth by the Constitution, NASA put into effect an executive branch proposal as if it were the law of the land. The consequences of that decision – for the agency, its workforce, and American leadership in science and space – were adverse to the agency’s mission.
The 38-page report gives plenty of examples about the various missions delayed or thwarted by NASA management, such as the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project and the Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite mission.
Last year was a pretty horrible year overall for government programs, but we can all be thankful that DOGE did not get too far past the destruction of the US Agency for International Development before it steered into the rocks and eventually sunk. Besides, Mr. Musk would not want to attack an agency that keeps him in business.
With Jared Isaacman as NASA’s administrator, and Congress basically ignoring White House cuts, the overall damage has been contained. With that said, the scars left on agency programs and personnel will be long-lasting.
Congress will need to remain vigilant and continue to investigate and highlight any budgetary abuses at NASA should they still occur, even if it is only the minority party paying attention at the moment (though that minority status seems likely to change with elections later this year).
We will see many more such reports in the years to come, but for too many it will be too little, too late.
Our Awesome Universe 