Blue Origin has announced upgrades to its New Glenn rocket to improve payload capacity and launch frequency, while making it more reliable. These changes affect propulsion, structures, avionics, reusability, and recovery operations, how the rocket is retrieved after launch. The improvements will start with the third mission, called NG-3.
The first stage has seven BE-4 engines with total thrust increasing from 3.9 million pounds-force to 4.5 million pounds-force. The second stage's two BE-3U engines will go from 320,000 pounds-force to 400,000 pounds-force. These boosts help customers sending satellites to low-Earth orbit, a region close to our planet; the Moon; or farther.
Other updates include a reusable fairing, the protective nose cone; a cheaper tank design; and better thermal protection system, to speed up reuse. Blue Origin also plans a new super-heavy rocket, New Glenn 9x4, with nine first-stage engines and four second-stage ones, carrying over 70 metric tons to low-Earth orbit. It features a larger 8.7-meter fairing. Both the original 7x2 version and 9x4 will operate together for various missions like satellite networks, space exploration, and defense.
Ideal for deep space ventures
The announcement comes one week after New Glenn's successful second launch, signaling a shift in the company's pace. Writing on Ars Technica, Eric Berger notes that the 9x4 variant positions New Glenn as a super-heavy lifter, rivaling NASA's Space Launch System in capacity but with full first-stage reusability and a fraction of the cost - potentially under 10% of SLS's $2.2 billion per launch.
The expanded New Glenn accommodates larger payloads and is ideal for deep space ventures, Berger says. Reportedly, the 9×4 variant of New Glenn could fly as early as 2027. This roadmap reflects CEO Dave Limp's influence since joining from Amazon nearly two years ago. He has overhauled the company's stagnant culture, emphasizing manufacturing and operations over pure research, Berger says.