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TheTechno Optimist.

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Blue Origin

New Glenn, BE-4 engines, Blue Moon lander

USprivateest. 2000blueorigin.com (opens blueorigin.com)Checked 25 Sep

The brief

Analyst view
  • New Glenn landed its booster on only its second flight (Nov 2025), but NG-3 left a customer satellite in a useless orbit (Apr 2026).
  • A May 2026 test-firing explosion destroyed a New Glenn and badly damaged LC-36, its only pad.
  • New Shepard is paused for at least two years to focus on Blue Moon; Tory Bruno joined from ULA in early 2026.

Technical approach

As reported
Engine

BE-4 natural-gas engine

BE-4 burns natural gas and liquid oxygen, about 2,400 kN each. Its hot, oxygen-rich gas can make metal burn, so it needs special alloys.

Upper stage

Hydrogen upper stage

The upper stage burns liquid hydrogen: very efficient for far orbits, but the tanks are big and must stay extremely cold.

Recovery

Ship landing and long booster life

The 7 m-wide booster steers back with fins and lands on the ship Jacklyn; it is designed for at least 25 flights.

Lunar

Cryogenic landers

Blue Moon MK1 (cargo) and MK2 (crew) burn hydrogen and aim to keep it cold for weeks using active cooling.

Programs

Blue Origin, three programs

Updated 6 Aug 2026
New GlennA 98 m, 7 m-wide rocket. Its first stage (seven BE-4 engines) lands and is reused; the hydrogen upper stage is not. A bigger nine-engine version was announced in 2025.PilotNextRebuild LC-36 and return to flightUpdated 6 Aug 2026View program →Blue MoonA family of lunar landers: MK1, a single-use cargo lander, and MK2, a crew lander NASA selected for Artemis. Both use the BE-7 hydrogen engine.ProtoNextMK1 pathfinder lunar landing · Q1 2027Updated 6 Aug 2026View program →New ShepardA small reusable rocket and six-seat capsule that takes tourists and experiments just above 100 km for a few minutes of weightlessness.DeployUpdated 30 Jan 2026View program →
Research · Proto · Pilot · Deploy · Scaling

Research & demos

2 items

Open technical problems

Open · Active · Partial
  • Flying often with one padOpen

    Three flights in 16 months and a single pad mean one accident can stop everything for a year.

  • Keeping hydrogen cold for weeksActive research

    Blue Moon needs liquid hydrogen to stay liquid for weeks, using coolers and insulation never flown at this size.

Upcoming catalysts

Company-wide
  • Q12027Blue Moon MK1 pathfinder lunar landing missionNew Glennby ~6 mo
  • 2027Artemis III: Orion crew to dock with a Blue Moon MK1 lander in Earth orbitBlue Moonby ~15 mo

Peers

Launch · 6

Company & funding

HQ
US
Founded
2000

Partners & customers

4 customers · 1 partner

People

Key people
Primer