Blue Origin is targeting late February for the third launch of its New Glenn mega-rocket. The rocket will carry a satellite to low-Earth orbit for AST SpaceMobile, marking the second time the company has flown a commercial payload with New Glenn.

The company did not immediately explain why it chose to launch the AST SpaceMobile satellite instead of its own robotic lunar lander, known as Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1). The lander is currently being shipped to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas for vacuum chamber testing. A launch date for that mission has not been set.

This will be the third New Glenn launch in just over a year, after the rocket spent a decade in development. New Glenn is a heavy-lift, reusable launch vehicle designed to carry both people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary orbit, and beyond. Its first stage is powered by seven BE-4 engines, which use liquid oxygen and liquid methane as propellants. The rocket is designed for at least 25 reuses, aiming to reduce the cost of space access.

The upcoming launch occurs during a busy month for spaceflight. NASA may launch its Artemis II mission, in which four astronauts will orbit the moon, as early as February 6. SpaceX is expected to start testing the third version of its Starship rocket. NASA and SpaceX will also launch the Crew-12 mission, which will help bring the International Space Station back up to full staff after the Crew-11 team was medically evacuated.

The launch of the AST SpaceMobile satellite will demonstrate New Glenn's capabilities for commercial space activities. AST SpaceMobile is building a space-based cellular broadband network designed to provide connectivity to standard mobile phones around the world. The launch will help AST SpaceMobile deploy its planned constellation of satellites.

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is a key player in the evolving landscape of commercial space launch services. The company aims to provide reliable and cost-effective access to space for a variety of customers, including satellite operators, government agencies, and research institutions. The successful launch of the AST SpaceMobile satellite will be a significant milestone for both Blue Origin and AST SpaceMobile.