Blue Origin has succeeded in reusing one of its New Glenn rockets for the first time during a launch on Sunday, marking a significant step towards reusability. However, this success is tempered by news that the communications satellite intended for AST SpaceMobile ended up in an 'off-nominal orbit,' casting doubt over the upper stage’s second burn.

The mission's payload separation was confirmed and the AST satellite powered on, but Blue Origin is still assessing whether a second burn occurred or if another issue arose. This marks just the third-ever launch of New Glenn, following its first flight about a year ago, during which it successfully deployed two robotic NASA spacecraft to Mars.

Reusability is critical for New Glenn’s economic viability, much like SpaceX's ability to re-fly Falcon 9 rocket boosters has helped it dominate the global orbital market. Blue Origin intends to use New Glenn for NASA moon missions and space-based satellite networks, with plans to launch its first robotic moon lander later this year.

Despite the setback in Sunday’s mission, Blue Origin remains committed to its ambitious goals of building a space-based cellular broadband network. The company has a deal with AST SpaceMobile to send multiple satellites into orbit over the next few years.