Nov 21, 2025 07:28 PM
Dave Limp cut bureaucracy, brought efficiency and accelerated developments to Blue Origin
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/11/bl...enn-rocket
EXCERPTS: One week after the successful second launch of its large New Glenn booster, Blue Origin revealed a roadmap on Thursday for upgrades to the rocket, including a new variant with more main engines and a super-heavy lift capability. [...] The enhancements will be phased in over time, starting with the third launch of New Glenn, which is likely to occur during the first half of 2026.
The most significant part of the update concerned an evolution of New Glenn that will transform the booster into a super-heavy lift launch vehicle. The first stage of this evolved vehicle will have nine BE-4 engines instead of seven, and the upper stage four BE-3U engines instead of two. In its update, Blue Origin refers to the new vehicle as 9×4 and the current variant as 7×2, a reference to the number of engines in each stage.
“New Glenn 9×4 is designed for a subset of missions requiring additional capacity and performance,” the company said. “The vehicle carries 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. Additionally, the 9×4 vehicle will feature a larger 8.7-meter fairing.”
[...] Such a booster would be a notable vehicle, with a lift capacity nearly on par with NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. However, it would have a fully reusable first stage with a larger payload fairing and would likely cost less than one-tenth the estimated $2.2 billion cost of NASA’s super-heavy rocket.
[...] Blue Origin said that both its 7×2 and 9×4 variants will fly concurrently. This, the company said, will give “customers more launch options for their missions, including mega-constellations, lunar and deep space exploration, and national security imperatives such as Golden Dome.”
[...] Blue Origin revealed that it is working on developing a full-scale deployable aerobrake that will be useful for landing large payloads on Mars or slowing down payloads returning to Earth from the Moon.
The increased pace of announcements and execution appears to be part of a plan by the company’s chief executive, Dave Limp, to get Blue Origin moving more quickly. Hired by Jeff Bezos from Amazon, Limp has shaken up Blue Origin’s culture, which had stagnated under former CEO Bob Smith despite Bezos showering the company with billions of dollars annually.
In his nearly two years on the job, Limp has focused on expanding Blue Origin’s manufacturing capabilities and pushed for tighter execution on more rigorous deadlines. Before, it would have been possible to dismiss the rocket plans unveiled Thursday as distant goals. But last week’s launch and subsequent landing of the New Glenn rocket suggest the company is finally breaking out... (MORE - missing details)
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/11/bl...enn-rocket
EXCERPTS: One week after the successful second launch of its large New Glenn booster, Blue Origin revealed a roadmap on Thursday for upgrades to the rocket, including a new variant with more main engines and a super-heavy lift capability. [...] The enhancements will be phased in over time, starting with the third launch of New Glenn, which is likely to occur during the first half of 2026.
The most significant part of the update concerned an evolution of New Glenn that will transform the booster into a super-heavy lift launch vehicle. The first stage of this evolved vehicle will have nine BE-4 engines instead of seven, and the upper stage four BE-3U engines instead of two. In its update, Blue Origin refers to the new vehicle as 9×4 and the current variant as 7×2, a reference to the number of engines in each stage.
“New Glenn 9×4 is designed for a subset of missions requiring additional capacity and performance,” the company said. “The vehicle carries 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. Additionally, the 9×4 vehicle will feature a larger 8.7-meter fairing.”
[...] Such a booster would be a notable vehicle, with a lift capacity nearly on par with NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. However, it would have a fully reusable first stage with a larger payload fairing and would likely cost less than one-tenth the estimated $2.2 billion cost of NASA’s super-heavy rocket.
[...] Blue Origin said that both its 7×2 and 9×4 variants will fly concurrently. This, the company said, will give “customers more launch options for their missions, including mega-constellations, lunar and deep space exploration, and national security imperatives such as Golden Dome.”
[...] Blue Origin revealed that it is working on developing a full-scale deployable aerobrake that will be useful for landing large payloads on Mars or slowing down payloads returning to Earth from the Moon.
The increased pace of announcements and execution appears to be part of a plan by the company’s chief executive, Dave Limp, to get Blue Origin moving more quickly. Hired by Jeff Bezos from Amazon, Limp has shaken up Blue Origin’s culture, which had stagnated under former CEO Bob Smith despite Bezos showering the company with billions of dollars annually.
In his nearly two years on the job, Limp has focused on expanding Blue Origin’s manufacturing capabilities and pushed for tighter execution on more rigorous deadlines. Before, it would have been possible to dismiss the rocket plans unveiled Thursday as distant goals. But last week’s launch and subsequent landing of the New Glenn rocket suggest the company is finally breaking out... (MORE - missing details)