On January 16, 2025, Blue Origin’s giant New Glenn reached orbit on its very first launch, then lost its booster while trying to land on a ship. Here’s what happened, what the FAA said, and why the booster’s three engines wouldn’t relight.
Tag: BE-4
BE-4 Deep Dive: Blue Origin’s Methane Engine That Powers Two Different Rockets 🔥
The BE-4 is the methane and oxygen engine that powers New Glenn and ULA’s Vulcan. Here is how oxygen-rich staged combustion works, what the thrust numbers really mean, why it ran years late, and what the May 2026 valve problem tells us.
New Glenn 7×2 vs 9×4: Blue Origin’s Two Rockets, Explained 🚀
New Glenn comes in two flavors: the 7×2 that flies today and the bigger 9×4 that’s still in development. Here are the published numbers, the flight record, where the May explosion leaves things, and how it all stacks up against Falcon Heavy, Starship, Vulcan and SLS.