Blue Origin Unveils Plans for Super Heavy Rocket to Rival Starship

Blue Origin has reached a significant milestone with its heavy-lift vehicle, the partially reusable New Glenn rocket. On November 13, 2023, during the second launch of the New Glenn (NG-2), the company successfully delivered a NASA payload to Mars. This mission, known as ESCAPADE (Escape and Plasma Acceleration Dynamics Explorers), involves twin satellites designed to explore the interaction between solar wind and Mars’ magnetic environment, and how this interaction affects atmospheric escape.

Unlike its inaugural flight, this launch demonstrated Blue Origin’s capability to retrieve the rocket’s first stage, reaffirming the company’s commitment to partial reusability. Following this achievement, Blue Origin announced enhancements to the New Glenn system, focusing on advancements in propulsion, avionics, reusability, and recovery.

Development of a Super Heavy Rocket

Among the most notable plans is the development of a super-heavy version of the New Glenn rocket. This upgraded model, tentatively named New Glenn 9×4, will feature higher-performing thrusters on both the first and upper stages, enhancing its competitiveness against SpaceX’s Starship. The current New Glenn relies on seven BE-4 booster engines, generating a thrust of 2,400 kN (550,000 lbf) at sea level, totaling 16,800 kN (3.5 million lbf). The upgraded engines are expected to deliver 2,847 kN (642,850 lbf) each, increasing total thrust capacity to 19,928 kN (4.5 million lbf).

The enhanced BE-3U thrusters, powering the upper stage, will also see improvements, with thrust capacity increasing from 1,423 kN (320,000 lbf) to 1,779 kN (400,000 lbf). Blue Origin plans to integrate the upgraded BE-4 engines into its next launch, NG-3, while the BE-3U enhancements will roll out over subsequent missions.

In addition to propulsion improvements, the New Glenn 9×4 will feature a larger payload fairing, expanding from 7 meters (23 feet) to 8.7 meters (approximately 28.5 feet) in diameter. This upgrade will enable the rocket to deliver up to 70 metric tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), 14 metric tons to Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO), and 20 metric tons for a Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI).

Positioning in the Satellite Launch Market

Blue Origin aims to conduct launches with both the enhanced and super-heavy versions of the New Glenn rocket to bolster its performance and launch cadence. The company is entering a competitive landscape where multiple commercial launch providers have emerged, challenging SpaceX’s dominance. As the satellite launch market is projected to reach $35.95 billion by 2030, these developments are critical for Blue Origin to capture a substantial share.

In addition to commercial launches, Blue Origin is also involved in NASA’s Artemis Program, specifically for missions Artemis V and VI. With uncertainties surrounding the future of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft, as indicated in the proposed FY 2026 Budget Request, the agency may increasingly rely on commercial partners for launch and crewed spacecraft services. Acting NASA Director Sean Duffy recently announced plans to seek competitive bids for a Human Landing System (HLS), highlighting delays in the development of SpaceX’s Starship.

Blue Origin is poised to expand its role in deep space exploration through missions like ESCAPADE and aims to secure additional contracts with NASA for national security programs, such as the Golden Dome initiative.

As Blue Origin continues to innovate and expand its capabilities, it remains to be seen how these advancements will impact the competitive landscape of space exploration and commercial satellite launches.