Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image credit: Blue Origin

Fresh from its successful New Glenn (NG-2) flight on November 13, an update has been posted by Blue Origin.

The group has announced a series of upgrades designed to increase payload performance and launch cadence of the New Glenn.

According to Blue Origin, the enhancements span propulsion, structures, avionics, reusability, and recovery operations. These enhancements will start to show in upcoming New Glenn missions, starting with the launch of the NG-3.

NG-2 liftoff.
Image credit: Blue Origin

Improvements

Blue Origin points to these improvements:

• Higher-performing engines on both stages. Total thrust for the seven BE-4 booster engines is increasing from 3.9 million lbf (lbf = pounds thrust) to 4.5 million lbf). BE-4 has already demonstrated 625,000 lbf on the test stand at current propellant conditions and will achieve 640,000 lbf later this year, with propellant subcooling increasing the current thrust capability from the existing 550,000 lbf.
• The total thrust of the two BE-3Us powering New Glenn’s upper stage is increasing from the original design of 320,000 lbf to 400,000 lbf thrust over the next few missions. BE-3U has already demonstrated 211,658 lbf on the test stand.
• A reusable fairing to support increased flight rates.
• An updated lower-cost tank design
• A higher-performing and reusable thermal protection system to improve turnaround time.

 “These enhancements will immediately benefit customers already manifested on New Glenn to fly to destinations including low-Earth orbit, the Moon, and beyond,” notes the Blue Origin posting.

The New Glenn booster after landing on Jacklyn in the Atlantic Ocean during NG-2 flight on November 13, 2025.
Image credit: Blue Origin

Super-heavy class rocket

On the New Glenn’s roadmap is a new super-heavy class rocket, New Glenn 9×4, named after the number of engines on each stage.

New Glenn 9×4 can loft over 70 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, over 14 metric tons direct to geosynchronous orbit, and over 20 metric tons to trans-lunar injection.

Image credit: Blue Origin

Additionally, the 9×4 vehicle will feature a larger 8.7-meter fairing.

Both vehicles, 9×4 and Blue Origin’s current variant, 7×2, “will serve the market concurrently, giving customers more launch options for their missions, including mega-constellations, lunar and deep space exploration,” the company explains, as well as national security projects such as the Trump Administrations Golden Dome – a proposed multi-layer missile defense system for the United States.