Blue Origin announces plans to upgrade New Glenn to match SLS
Graphic issued by Blue Origin’s CEO comparing
New Glenn to the Saturn-5. Click for source.
In an update posted today, Blue Origin announced that it is planning to begin upgrades to its New Glenn orbital rocket as soon as its very next launch early in 2026, with those upgrades eventually raising the rocket’s capabilities to that of NASA’s overpriced, cumbersome, and poorly designed SLS rocket.
One of the primary enhancements includes higher-performing engines on both stages. Total thrust for the seven BE-4 booster engines is increasing from 3.9 million lbf (17,219 kN) to 4.5 million lbf (19,928 kN). BE-4 has already demonstrated 625,000 lbf on the test stand at current propellant conditions and will achieve 640,000 lbf later this year, with propellant subcooling increasing the current thrust capability from the existing 550,000 lbf.
The total thrust of the two BE-3Us powering New Glenn’s upper stage is increasing from the original design of 320,000 lbf (1,423 kN) to 400,000 lbf (1,779 kN) thrust over the next few missions. BE-3U has already demonstrated 211,658 lbf on the test stand.
These numbers are a little more than half that put out by the Saturn-5 in the 1960s. New Glenn however has a reusable first stage, so it will cost far less to launch, and will be able to do so frequently. These changes will also make it comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy.
These engine upgrades however are only a start. Blue Origin also plans to offer a second more powerful version of New Glenn by adding two BE-4 engines to the first stage and two BE-3U engines to the upper stage.
Named after the number of engines on each stage, New Glenn 9×4, is designed for a subset of missions requiring additional capacity and performance. The vehicle carries over 70 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, over 14 metric tons direct to geosynchronous orbit, and over 20 metric tons to trans-lunar injection. Additionally, the 9×4 vehicle will feature a larger 8.7-meter fairing.
The SLS rocket’s absurd cost
These changes will make New Glenn comparable to NASA’s SLS rocket, but once again, at a far lower cost and with the ability to launch many times per year, instead of once every two years (at the very quickest). Though Blue Origin has not been as open as SpaceX about the amount it charges per launch, based on numerous sources it appears its base price is likely in the same range as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, ranging from $70 to $150 million, depending on payloard and customer needs. Compared to the per launch cost of SLS, as shown to the right, it is crazy NASA is still relying on SLS for its Artemis program.
It has now become quite evident that the SLS program is an utter waste of money. NASA should have switched to the Falcon Heavy years ago. It would have saved a fortune, and a manned mission to the Moon could already have taken place. With the U.S. now about to have a second private reusable rocket that matches SLS in capability but at far less cost, the logic for continuing that pork boondoggle becomes even more insane. For the cost of a single SLS launch (estimated from $4 to $14 billion depending on who you ask), NASA could launch dozens of Falcon Heavy and New Glenns, and do it NOW or in the very near future.
Whether Blue Origin will follow through as announced is of course open to doubt. The company has never moved this quickly in the past. Two factors however suggest it will this time. First, when New Glenn was first proposed more than a decade ago, this larger version was part of that announcement. The rocket was designed with them in mind from the start, which will make adding them far less difficult.
Second there is the new management culture being imposed by Blue Origin’s new CEO, David Limp. It has been very clear since his appointment in the fall of 2023 that Limp has worked hard to change that slow Blue Origin culture and get things moving. It increasingly appears he is succeeding, though the change has been slow. This announcement indicates his desire to move things even faster.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Graphic issued by Blue Origin’s CEO comparing
New Glenn to the Saturn-5. Click for source.
In an update posted today, Blue Origin announced that it is planning to begin upgrades to its New Glenn orbital rocket as soon as its very next launch early in 2026, with those upgrades eventually raising the rocket’s capabilities to that of NASA’s overpriced, cumbersome, and poorly designed SLS rocket.
One of the primary enhancements includes higher-performing engines on both stages. Total thrust for the seven BE-4 booster engines is increasing from 3.9 million lbf (17,219 kN) to 4.5 million lbf (19,928 kN). BE-4 has already demonstrated 625,000 lbf on the test stand at current propellant conditions and will achieve 640,000 lbf later this year, with propellant subcooling increasing the current thrust capability from the existing 550,000 lbf.
The total thrust of the two BE-3Us powering New Glenn’s upper stage is increasing from the original design of 320,000 lbf (1,423 kN) to 400,000 lbf (1,779 kN) thrust over the next few missions. BE-3U has already demonstrated 211,658 lbf on the test stand.
These numbers are a little more than half that put out by the Saturn-5 in the 1960s. New Glenn however has a reusable first stage, so it will cost far less to launch, and will be able to do so frequently. These changes will also make it comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy.
These engine upgrades however are only a start. Blue Origin also plans to offer a second more powerful version of New Glenn by adding two BE-4 engines to the first stage and two BE-3U engines to the upper stage.
Named after the number of engines on each stage, New Glenn 9×4, is designed for a subset of missions requiring additional capacity and performance. The vehicle carries over 70 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, over 14 metric tons direct to geosynchronous orbit, and over 20 metric tons to trans-lunar injection. Additionally, the 9×4 vehicle will feature a larger 8.7-meter fairing.
The SLS rocket’s absurd cost
These changes will make New Glenn comparable to NASA’s SLS rocket, but once again, at a far lower cost and with the ability to launch many times per year, instead of once every two years (at the very quickest). Though Blue Origin has not been as open as SpaceX about the amount it charges per launch, based on numerous sources it appears its base price is likely in the same range as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, ranging from $70 to $150 million, depending on payloard and customer needs. Compared to the per launch cost of SLS, as shown to the right, it is crazy NASA is still relying on SLS for its Artemis program.
It has now become quite evident that the SLS program is an utter waste of money. NASA should have switched to the Falcon Heavy years ago. It would have saved a fortune, and a manned mission to the Moon could already have taken place. With the U.S. now about to have a second private reusable rocket that matches SLS in capability but at far less cost, the logic for continuing that pork boondoggle becomes even more insane. For the cost of a single SLS launch (estimated from $4 to $14 billion depending on who you ask), NASA could launch dozens of Falcon Heavy and New Glenns, and do it NOW or in the very near future.
Whether Blue Origin will follow through as announced is of course open to doubt. The company has never moved this quickly in the past. Two factors however suggest it will this time. First, when New Glenn was first proposed more than a decade ago, this larger version was part of that announcement. The rocket was designed with them in mind from the start, which will make adding them far less difficult.
Second there is the new management culture being imposed by Blue Origin’s new CEO, David Limp. It has been very clear since his appointment in the fall of 2023 that Limp has worked hard to change that slow Blue Origin culture and get things moving. It increasingly appears he is succeeding, though the change has been slow. This announcement indicates his desire to move things even faster.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Nice writeup, Bob.
Scott Manley quips: “Can you imagine how hard it will be to go before a Senate panel right now as a nominee for NASA administrator and respond to questions about SLS without laughing?”
I think Jared is sharp enough to avoid laughing. But he went well out of his way over the year to single out Blue Origin for praise in both his private and public discourse, so . . . expect him to probably say something about this new development in his discussion with senators, and maybe he’ll hope they take the hint.
Eric Berger has an article on Ars Technica up now, too, which I only mention because he did some digging around on this question of timelines. Take it for what it is worth:
The company did not specify a timeline for the debut of the 9×4 variant. A spokesperson for the company told Ars, “We aren’t disclosing a specific timeframe today. The iterative design from our current 7×2 vehicle means we can build this rocket quickly.”
One source familiar with the company’s plans said the internal timeline would allow for the 9×4 variant of New Glenn to take flight as early as 2027.
But even if they don’t make 2027, this isn’t any less of an indictment against SLS.
I have heard enough from current and former BO employees to think that Limp could have handled the last round of layoffs a lot better than he did — it seems to have been almost random in who it kicked, and it left too many Bob Smith managers in place. Morale seems to have cratered in many teams. But it’s true that BO seems to be moving faster right now, just the same. Note that just yesterday they also revealed that Blue Origin is also working on developing a full-scale deployable aerobrake that will be useful for landing large payloads on Mars or slowing down payloads returning to Earth from the Moon. Link: https://x.com/blueorigin/status/1991251070979391796
By the way, as much as everyone is talking about what this means for SLS, we should spare a thought for its implications for ULA’s Vulcan-Centaur.
I mean, if Blue Origin’s press release is right, the 9×4 version of New Glenn will literally have twice the payload capacity to geosynchronous orbit (over 14 tons) as Vulcan in its max configuration (7 tons). And GSO is supposed to be Vulcan’s wheelhouse.
I wonder if the best time to sell ULA is now already past.
Richard M: The fact that New Glenn is reusable is the real important factor, not its payload capacity. New Glenn creates serious problems for Vulcan right now. As Blue Origin ramps up production and its launch rate, even if it doesn’t upgrade New Glenn, it will become very difficult for ULA to find customers outside the military. And even the military will rank ULA low, because it will now have two much cheaper and more capable options.
I must add that these New Glenn numbers once again illustrate the terrible harm Bob Smith did to Blue Origin and the American space industry by stifling New Glenn’s development by more than five years. Had New Glenn been launching five or even three years ago, as planned, the landscape now would be far different. The U.S. would have had two major companies with reusable rockets, both matching and beating SLS in every way. The effort now in Congress to save SLS would have been difficult if not impossible.
No matter. It is now only a matter of time before SLS/Orion goes away. I just hope it doesn’t kill people in doing so.
Well, the question mark about New Glenn as it exists *now* is not payload capacity but precision to high energy orbits, which, admittedly, Vulcan is extremely good at. But if it ends up being even close…yeah, the case for Vulcan becomes rather weak, once New Glenn is actually available to launch at any reasonable cadence.
For the moment, ULA has a great manifest to work through — over 70 launches on contract. That will keep them humming and the revenue sheets looking very nice for the next few years. But by the time we get to 2030, things start looking pretty challenging for ULA, at least on their current trajectory.
But I bet the guys at the Space Force are feeling pretty good about things right now.
Vulcan would have been a great vehicle for ULA to operate at the height of the EELV era – imagine if they could have been bringing it online not longer after they were formed in the mid-2000’s, and phased out the huge expense of operating the Atlas and Delta lines in parallel. Such a rocket could have made sense…15 years ago.
But reusable rockets are here now, in force. And ULA has to answer to two creaky legacy defense contractors who only care about extracting revenue from it, rather than a centibillionaire willing to spend what it takes to win.
That sounds nice—but SLS strength is that it has only four liquid fueled engines and could simply be re-used a different way.
You saw how painfully slow NG was already.
I hope Bezos guys know what they are doing.
I need to see it fly first.
Jeff Wright wrote, “SLS strength is that it has only four liquid fueled engines and could simply be re-used a different way.”
I highlight that one word to illustrate how divorced from reality many of your comments are when it comes to rockets and SLS in particular. Simply? So NASA and Boeing will simply snap their fingers and a new configuration of SLS will appear? Really?
It has taken Boeing and NASA fifteen years to reconfigure these used shuttle engines to fly them on SLS. Fifteen years! And you think they could do another change “simply.”
Oy.
My understanding is that part of why BO has been so slow to get to this point is that they’ve been looking forward, and were quite willing to accept delay on the initial payoffs in favor of being able to ramp up very quickly at this point. The question has always been whether they can, in fact do that. But trying to predict their pace in the near future based on what we saw before might not be the way to go. We can hope, but we’ll have to watch and see.
Logically, SLS shouldn’t be able to survive this. But of course, if logic mattered, SLS would have been dead years ago. So who knows.
But that very strength comes with huge weaknesses: 1) they’re hydrolox engines, with all the finicky issues of hydrogen leaks on the pad that comes with that, to say nothing of the need for much larger propellant tanks; 2) the previously flown RS-25 engines ended up entailing a $238 million cost overrun paid to Aerojet Rocketdyne – sorry, L3 Harris – to refurbish those used engines for reuse on SLS. That doesn’t count the $146 million per engine it will cost AJR to produce *new* RS-25’s for SLS.
For $146 million, you can basically have an entire, fully expended Falcon Heavy launch.
Jeff Wright,
Are you arguing that having only four engines is better than seven or nine? The Nine engine model is now going to be used by both SpaceX and apparently Blue Origin. It is used by both Rocket Labs rockets. These smaller engines, throttling down, are proving to be the way to go for propulsive landing, which is the future of space lift. New Glenn has shown seven will do also. Firefly’s Eclipse is going with nine. Relativity, an outsider, is going with thirteen.
OR Are you saying that the engines could be stripped from the SLS and used for something else? If so, what? They are not suitable for a rocket that lands itself. I don’t see indications that they can throttle low enough for propulsive landings.
Or, are you saying what Robert suggested, that the rocket could be re-geared for some other use? In that case, why? At that cost? And the cost to covert things. It took them how long just to get here?
Cancel the thing, stop work now, today. The Artemis II launch will be a monument to waste. And it is risky.
It stands today as a prime example to the pace of government work, made obsolete before completed, and the dedication of our Congress to sunk cost, in the name of re-election.
One more thought for Bob:
It’s a great point. And yet, that said, I am brought to mind of what Christian Davenport (author of Rocket Dreams: Musk, Bezos, and the Inside Story of the New, Trillion-Dollar Space Race, and WaPo’s space beat reporter) said in a recent interview when he was asked about Bob Smith. He said, consider the possibility that Bob Smith was put there, and kept there for as long as he was, because he was doing just what Jeff Bezos wanted.
Which is another way of saying that maybe a great deal of the blame has to go to Bezos. Perhaps if he’d been even half as hands-on with Blue Origin as Elon Musk has been at SpaceX, he would have realized just how problematic Smith’s organizational model really was.
Richard M: Of course the real blame must always fall to Jeff Bezos, who hired Smith and kept him there far longer than any responsible owner should have. It could be Bezos wasn’t paying attention at the time, and was fooled by things Smith told him. It could also be that Bezos wanted to slow things down, for reasons that completely baffle me.
Either way, Smith is gone, Bezos is now paying attention, and Blue Origin seems to finally be moving. Let us celebrate small favors!
From Mr. Zimmerman
I highlight that one word to illustrate how divorced from reality many of your comments are when it comes to rockets and SLS in particular. Simply? So NASA and Boeing will simply snap their fingers and a new configuration of SLS will appear? Really?
Starship and New Glenn are taking their time.
Again–I have always said that SLS is a semi stage-and-a-half design Musk should be building—and Boeing (at its height) nneded to do SS/SH as space freighter.
SLS needs no TPS, chopsticks. Look at how Thor grew into Delta II. I could see SLS perhaps with two pair of solids. That might be tough on the pad—but compare NG with SLS in flight. People need to quit sliming MSFC. What Boeing and the suits charge? That’s on them—and they won’t be the ones hurt by killing it.
Mr. Wright…
Oh never mind. Don’t know where to even begin. Your arguments are at odds with anything approaching reality. Keep dreaming those Marshall dreams.