Blue Origin unveils Northstar engine and third stage for New Glenn

Blue Origin is overhauling the propulsion system of its New Glenn rocket to lower expenses and increase payload capacity. The company announced two major upgrades on Thursday: a new first-stage engine called Northstar and a hydrogen-fueled third stage designated GS3. These changes are designed to improve the vehicle's ability to reach geostationary orbit and the Moon.

Dave Limp, the company's chief executive officer, presented the plans at the UP.Summit conference held at the Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida. Limp stated that the company aims to position New Glenn for more than 1,000 launches per year. He cited strong market interest for launch services, noting that there has never been higher demand for launch, ever.

The Northstar engine will eventually replace the BE-4 currently used on New Glenn's first stage. Limp described Northstar as a simpler and more powerful design. It contains half as many parts as the BE-4 and has 30 percent less mass. Approximately 65 percent of the engine can be produced using 3D printing.

Manufacturing costs for the Northstar are estimated to be one-quarter of the cost for the BE-4. Blue Origin also targets an assembly time of less than one day per engine. The company has already begun a series of test firings for the new design. Northstar will generate an initial thrust of 715,000 pounds, compared with 640,000 pounds for the BE-4.

Both engines utilize methane and liquid oxygen fuel. They share an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle and a turbopump architecture built around a single shaft. The new GS3 stage will use hydrogen and oxygen to provide additional propulsion for New Glenn.

Blue Origin will continue manufacturing the BE-4 engine for United Launch Alliance. The Vulcan rocket, which uses two BE-4 engines for propulsion, will remain in production alongside the new Northstar development.