Blue Origin

Blue Origin Announces Super-Heavy New glenn Variant to Challenge SpaceX’s Starship

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – November 21, 2025 – Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Jeff Bezos, today announced a substantially upgraded version of its ‌New Glenn rocket, dubbed New Glenn 9×4, designed‌ to compete directly with‌ SpaceX’s Starship. The new design features an increased engine count – nine on the ​booster ​and four on the upper stage ​- up from the current New Glenn’s seven and two, respectively.

“The next chapter in New Glenn’s roadmap is a new super-heavy class rocket,” Blue ⁤Origin stated. The proclamation follows a accomplished second mission for the current new ‍Glenn, which launched NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to Mars in October.⁢ While Blue Origin has not specified a launch timeline for the larger‍ variant, the rocket currently has a schedule filled with missions planned for 2026 and ⁣2027.

New ‌Glenn debuted‌ in⁣ January after years of ⁣delays, with ‍its‌ inaugural flight experiencing⁣ issues during booster recovery. Following⁢ seven corrective measures identified by⁤ the federal Aviation ⁣Administration,the second mission proved a major success for ⁢the company.

The upgraded New Glenn will be capable ⁣of lifting over 70⁤ metric tons to low-Earth⁣ orbit, more than 14 metric tons to geosynchronous orbit, ⁢and over⁤ 20 metric‌ tons to trans-lunar injection. ‌While this is less than Starship’s capacity of up ‍to 150 metric tons to low Earth orbit, Blue Origin emphasizes the new rocket will be a powerful​ launch vehicle.

The New Glenn 9×4 will also incorporate a larger 28.5-foot (8.7-meter) fairing, accommodating larger payloads. Blue origin stated both the 9×4 and the existing 7×2 variants will operate concurrently, ​offering customers more launch options for missions ‌including mega-constellations, lunar and ⁤deep space exploration, and national security applications like the Golden Dome program.

blue Origin CEO Dave Limp shared an illustration on social media comparing​ the new‍ new Glenn to the Saturn V rocket ⁢used during the Apollo program, visually demonstrating the notable size increase.

The success of ⁤New Glenn’s second flight has validated the rocket’s capabilities, and the super-heavy ​variant aims to position Blue Origin as a more formidable competitor to SpaceX in the expanding space⁤ launch market.

Blue Origin Achieves Historic New glenn Rocket​ landing,Launches NASA‍ Spacecraft

Cape Canaveral,FL – ​November 7,2024 – Blue Origin successfully landed its ⁤New Glenn rocket booster today,marking‍ a pivotal moment for the⁣ company and a significant advancement in reusable rocket technology. The 189-foot-tall booster touched down on its landing platform approximately 10 minutes‍ after launching from Launch Complex 36 ‌in Cape‌ Canaveral, Florida, at around 3:55⁢ p.m. ET.This‌ successful landing followed a delayed launch‌ schedule, impacted by weather and solar storms, after an initial attempt in January resulted in⁣ the booster’s destruction during landing.

The launch also carried a NASA ‌spacecraft, furthering ⁣the agency’s lunar ambitions. ⁤Blue origin is currently developing a lunar lander and has pledged to‍ accelerate its progress in supporting NASA’s‌ return to the moon. ‍

“We will move heaven ⁣and Earth” to help NASA get back to the moon faster, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp recently stated, ⁤emphasizing the importance of New Glenn’s success to thes goals.

This achievement places Blue Origin ⁢alongside spacex, which has already ‌mastered booster reusability with its‍ Falcon and⁢ Starship rockets. The⁣ ability to reuse rocket boosters substantially lowers launch costs for both commercial and government customers. Blue Origin now faces the challenge of demonstrating its ability to refurbish⁤ and relaunch the recovered booster.

The successful New ‍Glenn flight is a major‌ step forward after delays⁤ in getting ⁤the second rocket to launch.The company⁤ had initially hoped for​ a second attempt as early as ⁣spring. SpaceX CEO Gwynne Shotwell acknowledged⁤ the accomplishment with a post on X calling it “Magnificent!” and Elon​ Musk also offered his congratulations. ​

Acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy recently criticized SpaceX for moving too slowly in developing its Starship lunar lander,highlighting the urgency of advancing‌ lunar programs.

Blue Origin ⁣postponed the second launch of itS New Glenn mega-rocket,initially scheduled for Sunday afternoon,November 10,due to unfavorable weather⁣ conditions,minor ⁣launch pad equipment issues,adn the presence of a cruise ship within the flight path. The ‍company announced ⁤via X (formerly Twitter) it is targeting a new launch date of Wednesday, November 12, with a launch ⁤window ⁤opening at 2:50 p.m. ET and⁣ closing ⁤at 4:17 p.m. ET. Blue Origin collaborated with⁢ the Federal Aviation Governance (FAA) to secure this second launch ‌attempt despite recent space launch ‌restrictions related to ‍the government shutdown.

this mission marks a critical step for ‌Blue origin in‍ demonstrating the full reusability ​of ​the New Glenn rocket. While ‍the first launch in January successfully reached orbit, the⁤ booster was lost during landing. The company aims to achieve a successful⁣ booster landing during this flight.

New Glenn’s second mission ‍is also its first commercial flight, carrying NASA’s ESCAPADE spacecraft to Mars and a ⁢technology demonstrator for Viasat, part of another NASA project. Successful and cost-effective payload delivery is essential for Blue Origin to compete with SpaceX in the launch services market.

The launch was originally planned⁣ for earlier in the ‌year but faced multiple delays. Sunday’s attempt was initially scheduled to begin at 2:45 p.m. ET, with a 90-minute ‍window.‌ A cruise ship briefly entered ⁣the flight path shortly ⁤before the planned launch,adding to the existing concerns about weather.