New Glenn facts for kids
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New Glenn first launch, 16 January 2025
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| Function | Heavy-lift launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Blue Origin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Project cost | At least US$2.5 billion |
| Cost per launch | US$68–110 million |
| Size | |
| Height | 98 m (322 ft) |
| Diameter | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | 45,000 kg (99,000 lb) |
| Payload to GTO | 13,600 kg (30,000 lb) |
| Payload to TLI | 7,000 kg (15,000 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Comparable |
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| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Cape Canaveral, LC‑36 Vandenberg, SLC‑9 (future) |
| Total launches | 1 |
| Successes | 1 |
| Failures | 0 |
| Landings | 0 |
| First flight | 14:41, June 20, 2025 (ET) () (16 January 2025, 07:03 UTC) |
| Notable payloads |
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| First stage – GS1 | |
| Length | 57.5 m (189 ft) |
| Diameter | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Engines | 7 × BE-4 |
| Thrust | 3,850,000 lbf (17,100 kN) |
| Burn time | 190 seconds |
| Fuel | LOX / CH 4 |
| Second stage – GS2 | |
| Length | 23.4 m (77 ft) |
| Diameter | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Engines | 2 × BE-3U |
| Thrust | 346,000 lbf (1,540 kN) |
| Burn time | 644 seconds |
| Fuel | LOX / LH 2 |
The New Glenn is a huge rocket built by an American company called Blue Origin. It's designed to lift very heavy things into space. The rocket is named after John Glenn, who was the first American astronaut to orbit Earth.
New Glenn is about 98 metres (322 ft) (322 feet) tall. That's taller than the Statue of Liberty! It has two main parts, or stages. The first stage is designed to be used again, which helps save money on launches. It uses seven powerful BE-4 engines. The second stage uses two BE-3U engines. Both types of engines are made by Blue Origin.
This rocket takes off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Blue Origin also plans to launch it from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California in the future. The first New Glenn rocket was shown off in February 2024. Its first flight happened on January 16, 2025. It carried a test spacecraft called Blue Ring.
Just like Blue Origin's smaller New Shepard rocket, which takes people on short trips to space, New Glenn's first stage can land back on Earth. It lands on a special ship in the ocean called Landing Platform Vessel 1. Blue Origin is also working on a project called "Jarvis" to make the second stage reusable too!
Contents
What is the History of New Glenn?
Blue Origin started working on an orbital rocket system before 2012. They wanted the first part of the rocket to land back on Earth after launch. This would allow it to be used again, making space travel cheaper.
In 2015, Blue Origin officially announced their plans for an orbital rocket. In 2016, they said the new rocket would be much bigger than their New Shepard rocket. They also announced its name, New Glenn, in honor of astronaut John Glenn.
How Were the Engines Developed?
Blue Origin began developing systems for orbital spacecraft before 2012. They planned for the first stage of the rocket to fly into space and then land vertically. This is similar to how their New Shepard rocket lands. After landing, the first stage could be refueled and launched again. This would help lower the cost of sending people and things to space.
Engine tests for the rocket began in 2012. They tested the BE-3 engine, which uses liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. By 2018, it was decided that the BE-3U engine would power the second stage of the New Glenn rocket.
How Did New Glenn Develop Over Time?
Work on the New Glenn rocket started in 2012 with the development of the BE-4 engine. More plans for an orbital rocket were shared in 2015. For a short time in 2016, the rocket was even called "Very Big Brother."
Blue Origin said the first launch would happen no earlier than 2020. In September 2016, they officially showed the design of New Glenn. It was described as a 7-metre (23 ft) wide rocket with two or three stages. The first stage was planned to be reusable and land vertically. This is just like the New Shepard rocket.
The first stage was planned to use seven BE-4 engines. The second stage would use a special BE-4U engine. Blue Origin also announced they would launch the rocket from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 36 (LC-36). They would also build a new factory nearby to make the rockets.
By March 2018, the rocket's design changed. The second stage of New Glenn would now use two BE-3U engines. The idea for a third stage was completely removed in January 2019.
In October 2018, the U.S. Air Force gave Blue Origin money to help develop New Glenn. This was to make it a possible choice for future space missions.
By February 2019, several companies had signed contracts for New Glenn flights. These included OneWeb, Telesat, Eutelsat, mu Space Corp, and SKY Perfect JSAT.
In August 2020, New Glenn was not chosen for a big U.S. government launch program. Because of this, Blue Origin announced in February 2021 that the first flight would be delayed until late 2022. There were more delays, and by March 2022, the first launch was expected no earlier than late 2023.
In January 2024, the first stage of New Glenn was moved to the launch complex. This was to get ready for a launch later that year. In February 2024, a test version of both stages of New Glenn was put on the launch pad for the first time. This was for testing, and it didn't have working engines.
What is "Jarvis" Reusable Upper Stage?
In July 2021, Blue Origin started a project called "Project Jarvis." This project aims to make the upper stage of New Glenn reusable. If they succeed, New Glenn would become a fully reusable rocket. This would greatly reduce the cost of each launch.
Blue Origin is exploring different ways to make the second stage reusable. One idea is to add wings so it can fly back like a spaceplane. Another idea is to use special flaps and engines to slow it down when it returns to Earth.
When Was the First Launch?
On June 12, 2024, Blue Origin got the necessary license for New Glenn's first flight. The rocket was chosen for a U.S. government space program. The first launch was expected by December 2024.
Preparations for the first launch began in late August. It was supposed to carry two satellites for a mission to Mars. However, the mission was later moved to a different rocket.
As of September 2024, the first launch was planned as a test flight for the United States Space Force. It would carry a test version of the Blue Ring spacecraft. The first stage booster for this flight was even given a fun name: So You're Telling Me There's a Chance. This name hints at how hard it is to land a reusable booster on the first try.
Testing continued in October 2024 with successful engine tests of the second stage. The first stage moved to the launchpad on October 30, 2024.
The rocket was moved to the launchpad on November 20, 2024, for more tests. A full practice run happened on December 19, 2024. A 24-second engine test was done on December 27.
On January 13, 2025, Blue Origin tried to launch the rocket for the first time. The launch was stopped due to a delay.
On January 16, 2025, at 2:03 AM EST, New Glenn launched for the first time! Blue Origin successfully reached orbit on its first try. The second stage and the Blue Ring prototype payload went into medium Earth orbit. However, the first stage of New Glenn was lost during its return to Earth.
What Are New Glenn's Features?
The New Glenn is a 7-metre (23 ft) wide rocket with two stages. The first stage can be reused, but the second stage is used only once.
The first stage (GS1) is designed to be reused at least 25 times. It lands vertically, a technology Blue Origin first tested in 2015-2016 with its New Shepard rocket. The second stage (GS2) is about 26.8 metres (88 ft) (88 feet) tall. Both stages use strong aluminum tanks.
The first stage has seven BE-4 engines. These engines use methane and oxygen as fuel. They produce a huge amount of power, about 17,000 kilonewtons (3,800,000 lbf) (3.8 million pounds) of thrust at liftoff. The second stage has two BE-3U engines. These engines use hydrogen and oxygen as fuel.
Blue Origin said in 2019 that the New Glenn rocket can carry 13,000 kilograms (29,000 lb) (28,660 pounds) to GTO. It can also carry 45,000 kilograms (99,000 lb) (99,208 pounds) to a low Earth orbit. This is a lot of weight, like carrying several school buses into space!
New Glenn rockets launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Blue Origin also plans to build a launch site on the West Coast at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This will allow them to launch satellites into different types of orbits.
New Glenn will also be available for space tourism flights. People who have flown on New Shepard will get first choice for these trips. The first stage of New Glenn is meant to be reusable. It lands on a special ship in the Atlantic Ocean called Landing Platform Vessel 1, also known as Jacklyn. This ship helps the rocket land safely even in rough seas.
Where is New Glenn Made?
The main parts of the New Glenn rocket are put together at the Blue Origin rocket factory in Florida. This factory is very close to Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 36 (LC-36), which Blue Origin leases. LC-36 has been used for over 100 rocket launches in the past.
Blue Origin started ordering tools and equipment for the factory in 2015. In 2018, they finished building a huge machine called the "Mongoose." It's 16 metres (52 ft) (52 feet) tall and 41 metres (135 ft) (135 feet) long! This machine helps build the rocket's fuel tanks and nose cone. By September 2018, Blue Origin had invested over US$1 billion in its Florida factory and launch site.
Who Are New Glenn's Customers?
Blue Origin plans to offer different ways to launch satellites. They will offer flights for a single satellite. After the first five launches, they will also offer flights for two large communication satellites at once.
Who Has Booked Launches?
By 2018, Blue Origin had contracts with four customers for New Glenn flights. These included Eutelsat, Thailand startup mu Space Corp, and SKY Perfect JSAT. These companies plan to launch communication satellites after 2020. OneWeb, which operates a fleet of internet satellites, also had an agreement for five launches.
In January 2019, Telesat signed a contract to launch satellites for its future internet network. This made them Blue Origin's fifth customer.
In 2022, Amazon announced that it had booked 12 flights of New Glenn. They also have an option for 15 more. These flights will help deploy Amazon's Kuiper satellite constellation, which will provide internet access.
In February 2023, NASA chose Blue Origin to launch the ESCAPADE spacecraft to Mars. However, NASA later moved this mission to a different rocket.
In November 2024, AST SpaceMobile chose Blue Origin to launch some of its satellites.
How Does the Launch Schedule Work?
Blue Origin plans to schedule its launches differently from other companies. They want to have a regular launch schedule, with up to eight launches a year. If one customer's satellite isn't ready on time, Blue Origin will still launch the other satellites on schedule. They will do this without charging extra. This is different from how many other rocket companies handle shared launches.
How is New Glenn Funded?
The development and building of the New Glenn rocket are funded by Jeff Bezos. He is the founder of Amazon.com. The U.S. Air Force also helps fund the project.
Initially, Jeff Bezos paid for everything. After 2019, New Glenn also received US$500 million in funding from the United States Space Force. By September 2017, Bezos had already invested US$2.5 billion into New Glenn.
See also
- List of New Glenn launches
- Space launch market competition
- Falcon Heavy (SpaceX)
- Ariane 6 (Arianespace)
- Vulcan Centaur (United Launch Alliance)
- SpaceX Starship
- Space Launch System (NASA/Boeing), not intended for commercial satellite launch
- Saturn C-3 (1962 NASA Saturn design for Apollo EOR), same lift capacity
- Comparison of orbital launch systems
- Comparison of orbital launchers families
- Blue Origin recovery vessel
