One week after its second successful New Glenn launch, Blue Origin revealed plans for rocket enhancements, including a super-heavy lift variant. The upgrades aim to boost payload capacity and reliability. The company outlined phased improvements starting with the next launch in 2026.
Blue Origin published an update on its website detailing a roadmap for its New Glenn rocket, following the booster's successful second launch and landing last week. The enhancements, designed to increase payload performance, launch cadence, and reliability, will begin with the third launch, expected in the first half of 2026.
The centerpiece is the 9×4 variant, evolving from the current 7×2 configuration. This new version features nine BE-4 engines on the first stage instead of seven, and four BE-3U engines on the upper stage instead of two. It can carry 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. The 9×4 will also include a larger 8.7-meter fairing. Blue Origin did not specify a debut timeline, but a spokesperson noted, “The iterative design from our current 7×2 vehicle means we can build this rocket quickly.” An internal source indicated a possible first flight as early as 2027.
This capability rivals NASA's Space Launch System in lift but offers full reusability for the first stage, a larger fairing, and costs likely under one-tenth of the SLS's $2.2 billion price tag. Both variants will operate concurrently, providing options for mega-constellations, lunar exploration, deep space missions, and national security needs like Golden Dome.
Additional modifications include boosting BE-4 thrust from 550,000 to 640,000 pounds, BE-3U from 320,000 to 400,000 pounds, using super-cooled cryogenic propellants, developing reusable payload fairings, improving heat shields for faster refurbishment, and adopting lower-cost tank designs. This follows Wednesday's announcement of a full-scale deployable aerobrake for Mars landings or Earth returns from the Moon.
Under CEO Dave Limp, hired from Amazon by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin is shifting from R&D to manufacturing and operations. Limp stated, “I think we’ve made a bunch of progress... The key cultural shift that we’re trying to achieve is to move from an R&D company to a manufacturing and an operational space company.”