In the coming days, Blue Origin is set to launch its New Glenn heavy-lift vehicle with a reusable first stage for the first time. Here is everything you need to know about this rocket.
Brief history of the project
Blue Origin began designing the heavy rocket back in 2012. The project was first publicly announced in 2015. The following year, the first technical details were published, as well as the name of the rocket. It was named New Glenn after astronaut John Glenn. In 1962, he became the first American to make an orbital flight.
At the time of the announcement, New Glenn’s debut was scheduled for 2020. However, this date has been repeatedly pushed back. The main reason was a combination of technical problems and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also worth mentioning that the missile’s design has been changed. For example, at the time of the New Glenn announcement, it was planned to create two rocket modifications – with two and three stages. But later, the designers abandoned the three-stage version.
By 2024, the project had reached the home stretch. The rocket components were delivered to Cape Canaveral, after which testing and assembly began. On 27 December, a decisive test took place, during which engineers conducted a full fire test of the New Glenn installed at the launch pad. At the same time, the company received permission for its first space flight.
New Glenn design
The New Glenn has a two-stage structure. It is 98 meters high and seven meters in diameter.
The first stage of the rocket is equipped with seven BE-4 engines (the same power units are installed on the first stage of the Vulcan rocket). They use methane as a fuel and liquid oxygen as an oxidizer. The second stage is equipped with two BE-3U engines that run on a mixture of liquid hydrogen and oxygen.
New Glenn’s first stage is reusable. After separation, it will land on a barge in the ocean, similar to the Falcon 9 first stage. According to the designers, the stage can be used up to 25 times. In the past, Blue Origin has also announced its intention to create a reusable version of the New Glenn second stage, but it is not yet known whether work is underway in this direction.
According to Blue Origin, the New Glenn will be able to launch up to 45 tons of cargo into low Earth orbit and 13 tons into geotransition orbit.
Date of the first flight of New Glenn
Currently, the first launch of New Glenn is scheduled for January 8. The launch window will be open from 06:00 a.m. UTC (1:00 a.m. UTC-5) to 9:45 a.m. UTC (4:45 a.m. UTC-5). If the rocket cannot be launched on that day, the backup launch window will be open until January 12.
The rocket will carry a prototype of the Blue Ring satellite platform as a payload. It is conceived as a versatile vehicle that will be able to solve many different tasks – from orbital refueling and tractor to data relay.
During the New Glenn’s debut flight, an attempt will also be made to land its first stage. The barge Jacklyn, owned by Blue Origin, has already left Canaveral Port and headed for the Atlantic Ocean.
If successful, the New Glenn will be the second rocket in history to have a reusable first stage. With its larger payload capacity, Blue Origin hopes to challenge SpaceX’s de facto monopoly on the Western launch market. But only time will tell what will come of these plans.
