Blue Origin Announces ‘Super Heavy’ New Glenn 9×4 Rocket with Increased Payload Capacity
HUNTSVILLE, AL – Jeff Bezos’ space company, Blue Origin, today unveiled plans to develop a significantly more powerful version of its New Glenn rocket, dubbed New Glenn 9×4. Teh upgrade aims to dramatically increase the vehicle’s lift capacity adn broaden its mission capabilities in the competitive launch market.
The New Glenn 9×4 designation refers to the rocket’s engine configuration: nine BE-4 engines on the first stage and four BE-3U engines powering the upper stage. This represents a substantial increase from the original new glenn “7×2” variant, which utilizes seven BE-4s on its first stage and two BE-3Us above. Blue Origin intends for both versions to operate concurrently, offering customers a wider range of launch options.
The enhanced New Glenn 9×4 will be capable of lifting 77 tons (70 metric tons) to low Earth orbit,a 54% increase over the original New Glenn’s 50-ton (45 metric ton) capacity. The rocket will also feature a larger 28.5-foot (8.7 meter) wide payload fairing,exceeding the initial 23-foot (7 meter) fairing and dwarfing the 17-foot (5.2 meter) fairing of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket.
Blue Origin stated the new rocket will support a diverse range of missions, including the deployment of large “megaconstellations” like SpaceX’s Starlink, lunar and deep-space exploration initiatives, and national security applications such as the Space force’s “Golden Dome” program – focused on space-based missile interceptors.
A development timeline for the New Glenn 9×4 was not provided. blue Origin did not offer a new name for the upgraded rocket, but emphasized that the new variant will not replace the original New Glenn.
