Blue Origin announces 3rd stage for its powerful New Glenn rocket - and a new engine
Space • • general
Key Points:
- Blue Origin has developed a new third stage, called GS3, for its New Glenn rocket, enhancing its ability to deploy satellites directly to geostationary orbit and support heavy-lift missions to the moon and deep space.
- The GS3 stage will be powered by a BE-7 engine, originally developed for the Blue Moon lunar lander, enabling faster transit times and preserving propellant for sustained operations around the moon.
- Blue Origin announced a government customer has already booked a GS3 mission to cislunar space, targeting a 2028 launch.
- In addition, Blue Origin is developing a new first-stage engine named Northstar, which offers 30% less mass, 50% fewer parts, and increased thrust compared to the BE-4, with significantly faster production times.
- New Glenn has flown three times in its standard 7x2 configuration, but faced setbacks including a satellite deployment into the wrong orbit and a pad explosion during an engine test; Blue Origin is preparing for a fourth flight later this year.
