Blue Origin claims New Glenn will launch by the end of 2024.
Blue Origin is on schedule to launch the New Glenn rocket before the end of the year, but the company must still wait for regulatory approval in order to perform a crucial final test. This test is called a “hot-fire” and involves firing all seven BE-4 engines of the first stage at full thrust, while the rocket is still on the launch pad. This test mimics how the vehicle will perform during launch. Blue Origin, if the test goes according to plan, will integrate the fairing as the last step before launch. This first test is crucial. Jeff Bezos, founder of Blue Origin, said during an interview with The New York Times Dealbook Summit in early October that New Glenn was key to his vision of lowering launch costs enough to put all polluting industries into orbit. “I know it sounds fantastical. I ask for your indulgence to be patient a minute,” he said. “But it is not fantastical.” New Glenn is our orbital vehicle. We need to bring the cost down to a level that allows us to access space. In its reusable configuration, this rocket is more powerful that United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur or SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy. Comparatively, SpaceX’s Starship rocket, the largest ever built, was designed to transport 100-150 tons to LEO.
In a shorter time frame, getting New Glenn running will likely be the key to Blue Origin becoming a profitable company. Blue Origin’s finances aren’t public and the company benefits from Bezos personal fortune. However, Bezos said at that summit that Blue Origin will one day become his largest business. “I think it will be the best business I’ve been involved in but it’s gonna take a long time,” he said. The space agency decided to delay the mission until a New Glenn launch that will take place in spring 2025. They cited potential problems that could arise if the rocket was delayed. The NG-1 mission is instead a demonstration payload that will be tested on the Blue Ring orbital transport vehicle. This includes communications, power systems, flight computers, and software. These will all be used in future production OTVs. Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp stated in a blog post on X that the company developed Blue Ring to meet “a growing need to quickly move and place equipment and infrastructure in various orbits.” Blue Origin will need to receive approval from the Federal Aviation Administration before any of this happens. Blue Origin can only launch its rocket once all of these documents are received.
