Blue Origin says it is building a higher-performing rocket engine at 1/4 the cost
Summary
Blue Origin says it is developing a new first-stage engine and a third stage for its New Glenn rocket. The company says the engine could cost one-quarter as much to manufacture as its BE-4 engine, while the third stage would increase the rocket’s capacity for missions to geostationary orbit and the Moon.Key Facts
- Blue Origin has begun test-firing its Northstar engine, which is intended to replace the BE-4 engines on New Glenn’s first stage.
- Blue Origin says Northstar will have 715,000 pounds of starting thrust, compared with 640,000 pounds for the BE-4.
- The company says Northstar has half as many parts as the BE-4, weighs 30 percent less, and can be about 65 percent 3D-printed.
- Blue Origin estimates it can manufacture Northstar for 25 percent of the cost of a BE-4 engine.
- Blue Origin plans to keep making BE-4 engines for United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket.
- The planned GS3 third stage will use the BE-7 engine and is designed for direct trips to geostationary orbit and Earth-escape trajectories.
- Blue Origin says a GS3-equipped New Glenn 7×2 could carry 8 metric tons to geostationary orbit or 10 metric tons toward the Moon; the 9×4 version could carry 14 and 20 metric tons, respectively.
- Blue Origin says it tested a 5.5-meter composite liquid-hydrogen tank in Texas at full expected operating force for 2.5 hours.
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