New Glenn is Blue Origin’s heavy-lift orbital rocket, and it’s honestly massive—standing over 320 feet tall with a 7-meter diameter. The company built it with partial reusability in mind, using their own BE-4 and BE-3U engines for its two-stage setup.
At more than 320 feet (98 meters) tall, New Glenn ranks among the largest rockets ever built. That 7-meter diameter? It gives the vehicle a huge amount of space for all sorts of payloads.
Blue Origin built New Glenn as a two-stage system and focused on partial reusability for the first stage. The first stage lands vertically on autonomous drone ships about 620 miles downrange, which is pretty wild if you think about it.
The first stage uses seven BE-4 engines, while the second stage runs on two BE-3U engines. Blue Origin makes all these engines in-house at their Texas facilities. They’ve put the BE-4 engines through tons of testing to squeeze out as much efficiency and reliability as possible.
The first stage restarts its engines for a controlled descent and landing. Blue Origin hopes this reusability will cut launch costs for future missions. They even give their boosters names—the first one is called “So You’re Telling Me There’s A Chance?” which is kind of fun.
New Glenn isn’t messing around—it’s a true heavy-lift launch vehicle, able to send big payloads to low Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, and beyond.
Project Kuiper is one of the rocket’s headline customers. Amazon plans to use it for launching their global broadband satellites.
NASA missions are on the manifest, too, like the ESCAPADE dual spacecraft mission studying solar wind on Mars. AST SpaceMobile will also launch parts of its space-based cellular broadband network on New Glenn.
Commercial and government payloads both fit the bill. National security missions are in the mix, right alongside civil space projects.
New Glenn’s payload fairing separates mid-flight to deliver customer payloads safely to their orbits. The 7-meter diameter matches the main body, so there’s plenty of room inside.
This fairing shields sensitive hardware during the rough ride through the atmosphere. Blue Origin designed the separation system to work reliably and avoid damaging the satellites or spacecraft inside.
You can fit a lot inside that fairing—big satellites, clusters, or even some pretty complex science missions. Smaller rockets just can’t compete with that kind of volume.
New Glenn depends on two main engine types that work together to push payloads to orbit. The first stage uses seven BE-4 engines, and the upper stage gets power from two BE-3U engines.
Seven BE-4 engines blast New Glenn’s first stage off the pad. They burn liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas, which is a bit different than what you’ll find on most rockets.
Blue Origin built the BE-4 as the first oxygen-rich staged combustion engine in the U.S. That lets these engines squeeze out more power while burning less fuel.
Each BE-4 can throttle down for controlled landings. This ability is key for bringing the first stage back to Earth vertically, ready for another go.
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket also flies on BE-4s. That’s a pretty strong endorsement of their reliability.
Blue Origin makes all BE-4 engines at their Huntsville, Alabama plant. They put every engine through tough tests in both Texas and Alabama before it ever flies.
Two BE-3U engines run New Glenn’s upper stage propulsion. These burn liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to push out 175,000 pounds of thrust in a vacuum.
The BE-3Us can throttle down to 140,000 pounds of thrust if needed. That flexibility gives mission planners more options for different payloads.
Both engines can restart several times during flight. This lets New Glenn deliver satellites straight into high orbits, like geostationary.
The hydrogen fuel burns super clean—just water vapor comes out as exhaust. That’s about as eco-friendly as rocket engines get.
Blue Origin builds the BE-3U in Huntsville, too, right alongside the BE-4. Both engine types go through tough testing before they ever make it onto a New Glenn rocket.
Blue Origin has set its sights on a future where millions live and work in space for Earth’s benefit. They want to create sustainable lunar operations and tap into space resources to help preserve our planet.
Blue Origin is working on the infrastructure for permanent human settlements on the Moon. They see lunar colonization as the next big step for humanity and a way to push farther into the solar system.
The Blue Moon lander is a big part of this vision. It can deliver heavy payloads to the lunar surface, including gear for building bases. Blue Origin designed it to support NASA’s Artemis program.
Key lunar capabilities include:
Blue Origin teams up with NASA and other agencies to make lunar operations sustainable. Together, they’re building the tech that long-term human life on the Moon will need.
Blue Origin wants to move heavy industry and resource mining off Earth and into space. They believe space holds endless resources that could support humanity without wrecking our home.
Space-based factories could make materials you just can’t produce on Earth. The company imagines orbital manufacturing that takes advantage of microgravity and vacuum.
Target space resources include:
Their BE-4 and BE-3U engines make these ambitions possible by offering reliable, reusable access to space. Lower launch costs could finally make space mining and manufacturing practical.
Blue Origin has pushed New Glenn through some big milestones, starting with its first flight and looking ahead to interplanetary missions. On its debut, the rocket reached orbit, and it’s gearing up to launch NASA’s twin Mars probes soon.
New Glenn made it to orbit on its maiden flight, January 16, 2025, launching from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 36. The seven BE-4 engines roared to life at 2:03 a.m. EST, sending the rocket skyward in a smooth ascent.
The mission put the Blue Ring Pathfinder into its planned orbit, showing New Glenn could deliver payloads and that its flight systems worked as designed.
The second stage pulled off two successful burns with the BE-3U engines. These moves put the payload right where it needed to go, which is always a relief.
Not everything went perfectly, though. The 188.5-foot booster missed its landing on Blue Origin’s drone ship in the Atlantic. That triggered a full investigation with the FAA before the next flight.
Even with the failed landing, NASA and industry insiders considered NG-1 a win. The rocket reached orbit, which was the main goal, and New Glenn officially joined the ranks of American heavy-lift launchers.
Next up is NG-2, which will launch NASA’s ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) no earlier than September 29, 2025. This is Blue Origin’s first interplanetary contract with NASA.
ESCAPADE includes two identical probes, built by Rocket Lab, meant to study Mars’ magnetosphere and how solar wind strips away the planet’s atmosphere.
UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory will operate the probes when they arrive at Mars. The mission has an $80 million budget, which is pretty thrifty for planetary science.
With two spacecraft taking measurements from different spots, scientists can finally get a better picture of how Mars loses its atmosphere to space.
Blue Origin sees this as a real test. If they pull it off, New Glenn will prove it can handle tricky NASA contracts and boost Blue Origin’s rep as a go-to for interplanetary missions.
New Glenn’s future missions go way beyond ESCAPADE. Amazon’s Kuiper satellite constellation is on the schedule, aiming to build out global internet service.
AST SpaceMobile is another big customer. Their huge communications satellites need the kind of lifting power New Glenn offers.
NASA picked New Glenn for several Artemis-related missions, putting Blue Origin in a key spot for America’s lunar plans alongside SpaceX and other players.
National security missions are also in the mix. The U.S. Space Force and other agencies need reliable heavy-lift for critical satellites.
Blue Origin wants to show off booster reusability on these flights. They’re aiming for up to 25 flights per booster, which would slash launch costs and open the door to more frequent launches—even for space tourism, if that takes off.
New Glenn’s launch operations are based at Blue Origin’s Florida hub at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Launch Complex 36 is the main launch pad, and the whole manufacturing and launch process happens within about nine miles.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station gives New Glenn access to established launch infrastructure and range safety support. The site lets Blue Origin reach all sorts of orbits, from geostationary transfer to low Earth.
Blue Origin picked this spot because it’s close to Kennedy Space Center and has all the aerospace support you could want. The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron and range safety teams work with Blue Origin’s mission control during launch operations.
The station’s east coast location helps New Glenn take advantage of Earth’s rotation for launching to orbit. Flights can reach different inclinations without flying over big population centers.
Weather at Cape Canaveral is always something to watch. The subtropical climate brings afternoon storms and, sometimes, tropical systems that can mess with launch schedules.
Launch Complex 36 is now New Glenn’s home base after Blue Origin gave it a serious makeover. They upgraded the pad to handle the rocket’s 23-foot diameter and 320-foot height.
At LC-36, Blue Origin installed custom ground support equipment just for New Glenn. The complex features propellant loading systems for BE-4 and BE-3U engines, plus big integration towers for the rocket.
Automated launch sequencing systems at the pad sync up with New Glenn’s flight computers. Emergency exit routes and range safety gear meet the latest Space Force rules for commercial launches.
Nearby facilities handle vehicle processing before anything rolls out to the pad. New Glenn rockets travel to LC-36 standing tall, and teams run through final checks right before launch.
Blue Origin set some pretty high goals for New Glenn’s reusability—each first-stage booster could fly up to 25 times if all goes well. For recovery, they rely on their custom landing platform vessel, Jacklyn, to catch boosters out at sea after each launch.
On New Glenn’s first mission, Blue Origin reached orbit, but they lost the booster during recovery. The plan was for the first stage to land on Jacklyn, which waited out in the Atlantic Ocean.
The booster separated as expected during ascent. But then, contact with the stage vanished as it descended back to Earth.
Blue Origin plans to try another booster landing on the second New Glenn mission. They’ve been testing tricky landing maneuvers and guidance systems to make recovery work.
Jacklyn, by the way, is a lot bigger than SpaceX’s drone ships. That size is necessary—New Glenn’s first stage is almost twice as wide as a Falcon 9 booster.
Port Canaveral, Florida, serves as the hub for recovery operations. Specialized cranes and heavy infrastructure there help lift boosters from Jacklyn and get them ready for refurbishment.
Cutting costs really drives the push for New Glenn’s booster reusability. Blue Origin figures that flying boosters up to 25 times will slash launch prices compared to single-use rockets.
Reusing boosters also means less manufacturing and less waste. Every recovered booster saves the trouble of building a brand-new first stage.
But recovery isn’t easy. The first stage has to survive high-speed atmospheric reentry, pull off precise landing burns, and touch down safely—on a moving platform, no less.
Weather can throw a wrench into things. Ocean swells and wind sometimes make the landing platform rock just when the booster needs a stable spot.
SpaceX has already nailed booster recovery and reuse with Falcon 9, so Blue Origin feels the pressure. New Glenn is bigger and built differently, so the engineering puzzles aren’t quite the same.
Blue Origin has built up a customer list that covers both commercial clients and government agencies. They’re working on National Security Space Launch certification and have deals with some major telecommunications providers.
Blue Origin is chasing certification with the U.S. Space Force for the National Security Space Launch program. If they get it, New Glenn can compete for big government contracts that support national security missions.
The NSSL program is a huge opportunity for Blue Origin. The Space Force wants multiple launch providers to ensure steady access to space for defense needs.
New Glenn’s heavy-lift abilities fit what NSSL is looking for. The rocket can haul big payloads to a range of orbits, which is essential for military and intelligence satellites.
Certification means Blue Origin has to prove New Glenn’s reliability and performance through tough testing. They need to meet strict security standards before they can win NSSL contracts.
SpaceX and United Launch Alliance are already in the NSSL game, so Blue Origin has some serious competition. Still, New Glenn’s reusable design might give them an edge on cost for certain missions.
Blue Origin locked in contracts with several telecom companies planning satellite constellations. The biggest partnership is probably with Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which aims to put thousands of broadband satellites into orbit.
AST SpaceMobile is another important customer, working on a space-based cellular network. They need multiple launches to build out their satellite fleet.
Other telecom firms have also booked New Glenn flights. They like the rocket’s roomy payload fairing, which lets them launch more satellites at once.
That seven-meter fairing offers double the volume of typical commercial launch systems. With all that extra space, companies can send up larger or multiple satellites in a single go.
NASA has signed on for New Glenn launches too. The agency wants more launch options to keep costs down and add flexibility to its missions.
New Glenn can handle all sorts of payloads, from commercial missions in low Earth orbit to ambitious interplanetary trips. Its seven-meter fairing and powerful engines open up a lot of possibilities for different missions.
New Glenn really shines when it comes to sending big payloads to low Earth orbit. The rocket can deliver up to 45 metric tons up there, making it perfect for large satellite constellations and heavy cargo.
On its first flight, the NG-1 mission, New Glenn carried the Blue Ring Pathfinder. That payload included communications arrays, power systems, and computers to test operations from New Glenn’s second stage.
Satellite operators appreciate the rocket’s huge payload volume. The seven-meter fairing is twice as big as the standard, so there’s plenty of room for larger spacecraft or multiple satellites.
Space stations and research platforms also benefit. New Glenn’s capacity supports cargo resupply missions and equipment deliveries to orbital facilities.
Blue Ring technology lets New Glenn tackle interplanetary deliveries. The platform can carry 3,000 kilograms of payloads across 13 ports to destinations beyond Earth.
The rocket can send payloads to geostationary orbit, cislunar space, and even further. Blue Ring’s flexibility means it can drop off payloads at different spots during one mission.
For deep space, Blue Ring acts as a host, providing power and communications for scientific instruments. It makes it easier to conduct research far from Earth.
Lunar missions are becoming a bigger focus too. New Glenn, with Blue Ring, can deliver heavy payloads to lunar orbit or straight to the Moon’s surface.
New Glenn is at the heart of Blue Origin’s lunar transportation system. The rocket will launch both cargo and crewed missions to help support NASA’s Artemis program.
The Blue Moon Mark 1 cargo lander is Blue Origin’s first step into lunar logistics. This robotic lander can deliver up to 3 metric tons of supplies and science gear anywhere on the Moon.
New Glenn’s seven-meter fairing fits the Mark 1 lander perfectly. The rocket has the muscle to send the lander on its way to the lunar surface.
The first Mark 1 mission, called the Pathfinder Mission, is targeting a late 2025 launch. NASA’s CLPS program is putting up some of the funding for this flight.
Precision landing tech lets the cargo lander drop supplies right where they’re needed. That kind of accuracy supports long-term human operations on the Moon.
Blue Origin could fly multiple Mark 1 missions per year, building up a regular delivery schedule. Each flight adds experience for even more complex lunar projects down the road.
Blue Origin developed the Mark 2 as a reusable crew lander for NASA’s Artemis program. This bigger vehicle can take up to four astronauts to the Moon for longer stays.
NASA picked the Mark 2 as the second Human Landing System for Artemis V, aiming for around 2029. That creates a bit of competition with SpaceX’s Starship and adds some redundancy to the program.
New Glenn launches the Transporter vehicle, which can carry up to 100 metric tons of propellant to lunar orbit. This space tug refuels the Mark 2 lander, making reusability possible.
Refueling in space should cut mission costs a lot compared to single-use landers. Astronauts can stay longer on the Moon since the lander waits in orbit, fully fueled for the trip home.
Regular crewed missions will depend on New Glenn’s reliability. The rocket needs to keep up a steady launch pace to support NASA’s lunar plans.
Blue Origin’s leadership team has seen some big changes, and those shifts are shaping New Glenn’s future. CEO Dave Limp is pushing for more efficient operations, while Jarrett Jones, the previous program head, set the groundwork before stepping back for a sabbatical.
Dave Limp took over as CEO with a clear focus on scaling up production and keeping things efficient. He wants to build up a solid inventory of second stages and booster parts to meet rising launch demand.
Under Limp, Blue Origin cut its workforce by 10% in 2025, aiming for leaner operations without sacrificing quality. It’s a tough move, but he seems committed to efficiency over just hiring more people.
Limp is all about increasing production. He’s said they’re on track to build eight GS2 units in 2025, which should help avoid the launch bottlenecks they’ve faced before.
He’s also working to keep Blue Origin competitive with SpaceX. With New Glenn’s $68 million per launch price, Limp is positioning it as a strong option for heavy-lift missions. His leadership after the tricky NG-1 period shows he’s focused on delivering results, not just making promises.
Jarrett Jones led the New Glenn program through some of its toughest development hurdles. His technical direction helped the rocket get through engine integration and reusable booster development, leading up to its first successful orbital flight on January 16, 2025.
Jones and his team hit their main goals during NG-1, placing the Blue Ring Pathfinder into orbit and proving out years of engineering work.
He’s stepping back for a sabbatical starting August 15, 2025, right as the NG-2 launch window opens. That’s a big transition for the program, and the team will need to keep up the momentum in his absence.
Jones really pushed for the 25-flight booster target. He balanced big ambitions with practical manufacturing limits, and the foundation he set is still guiding New Glenn’s development.
Blue Origin is stepping up New Glenn production to keep pace with demand from both commercial and government customers. Their manufacturing push and aggressive pricing are definitely shaking up how the industry thinks about heavy-lift launches.
Blue Origin wants to build eight New Glenn second stages this year as part of its production scale-up. That’s a pretty aggressive target, and it shows they’re gearing up for regular commercial operations.
Recently, the company cut about 10 percent of its workforce—roughly 1,400 people—across Florida, Texas, and Washington. They say these layoffs will help streamline operations and make them more competitive in the launch market.
Blue Origin has several New Glenn vehicles at different points along the production line. Their assembly lines are running to support a growing list of customers.
Key Production Facilities:
The first stage booster uses reusable tech, much like New Shepard. Blue Origin designed it to fly at least 25 times, which really cuts down per-flight costs.
New Glenn goes head-to-head with SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and other heavy-lift rockets. It can send payloads to low Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, and even farther.
Current Customer Base:
This heavy-lift capacity opens up new options for large satellite deployments and lunar missions. Commercial customers get to launch bigger payloads or even multiple satellites in one go.
Blue Origin’s focus on reusability puts real pressure on competitors to drop launch prices. They target civil, commercial, and national security markets with the same vehicle.
If New Glenn succeeds, we’ll see more competition in the launch market. That usually means lower costs for satellite operators and government agencies.
New Glenn marks a big shift in commercial space, with its first successful orbital flight happening in January 2025. People keep asking about launch schedules, how it stacks up against competitors, landing innovations, and how Blue Origin’s suborbital experience shaped this orbital rocket.
New Glenn made its first successful orbital flight on January 16, 2025, during the NG-1 mission. The rocket lifted off at 2:03 a.m. EST from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Blue Origin plans to launch again in spring 2025 with the NG-2 mission. They’ve got several vehicles in the pipeline and years of customer orders lined up.
The launch schedule really depends on how fast they can build rockets and what customers need. Blue Origin is working to ramp up both launch frequency and production to keep up.
New Glenn stands 320 feet tall, with a 7-meter diameter and a two-stage design. The first stage runs on seven BE-4 engines, and the second uses two BE-3U engines.
Starship is even bigger—394 feet tall when stacked, with a 9-meter diameter. It uses the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage, which is a whole different setup.
New Glenn focuses on heavy-lift for commercial and government customers. The rocket aims for reliable orbital missions, not the Mars-focused design Starship is chasing.
Both rockets want full reusability, but right now, New Glenn only recovers its first stage. Starship is trying to recover both stages, though with different landing methods.
Blue Origin actually names its boosters—the first New Glenn booster is “So You’re Telling Me There’s A Chance?” SpaceX, on the other hand, uses numbers.
New Glenn uses BE-4 and BE-3U engines, both running on liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas. That’s a pretty different approach from SpaceX’s Merlin and Raptor engines.
Each company goes after slightly different markets. New Glenn is all about traditional satellite deployments and government contracts, while SpaceX leans more into constellation launches and Mars prep.
Blue Origin runs a drone ship called Jacklyn for booster recovery. They plan to add more recovery ships as launches ramp up.
New Glenn’s first stage lands vertically on drone ships in the Atlantic. This reusable design lets Blue Origin recover and refurbish boosters for future flights.
They’re aiming to reuse each booster at least 25 times. That kind of reusability makes New Glenn a real contender in civil, commercial, and national security launches.
During the NG-1 mission, Blue Origin tried to recover the booster but lost it during descent. They admitted landing on the first attempt was a bit ambitious, but they got valuable data for next time.
The drone ship Jacklyn is the main landing platform for now. Blue Origin plans to build more recovery vessels as launch operations grow.
The main goal for NG-1 was to reach orbit safely, and Blue Origin pulled that off. This flight doubled as the first National Security Space Launch certification mission for New Glenn.
The payload was Blue Origin’s Blue Ring Pathfinder. That spacecraft tested Blue Ring’s flight systems and operations as part of the Defense Innovation Unit’s prototype program.
Blue Origin wanted to land the first stage booster, but that was a secondary goal. Even though they lost the booster, they collected important data from the landing attempt.
The mission proved New Glenn’s core systems and flight performance. This success paves the way for more commercial and government missions soon.
New Shepard gave Blue Origin some real, hands-on experience with rocket operations and reusability. They actually tested vertical landing systems, which now shape how New Glenn’s recovery works.
The BE-3 engine family, which powered New Shepard, eventually led to the BE-3U engines for New Glenn’s second stage. By building on this engine heritage, Blue Origin cut down on a lot of the risk that comes with developing a much bigger orbital rocket.
Through New Shepard missions, the company worked out the kinks in launch procedures, safety steps, and even how to handle customers. All of that know-how feeds straight into how they run New Glenn launches.
The suborbital flights also pushed Blue Origin to build up its manufacturing skills and quality control. That foundation really matters now, since New Glenn’s production is a whole new level of complex.
