Blue Origin is making some serious waves in the space industry! Fresh off a successful mission, they're unveiling exciting upgrades and new spacecraft that could reshape our future in space. Let's dive in and explore what they have in store.
First up, following the successful NG-2 flight that launched the ESCAPADE Mars probes, Blue Origin is gearing up for the future. They've announced the Blue Moon Mk1 robotic lander, slated to fly in 2026, possibly on an upcoming New Glenn mission. Alongside this, the company has revealed plans for the New Glenn 9x4 rocket and updated the current New Glenn to a 7x2 designation. And that's not all – they're also sharing details about the Blue Ring tug and satellite bus, plus a new deployable aerobrake designed for future Mars missions.
The Glenn Stage 1 (GS1) booster, known as 'Never Tell Me The Odds,' has returned to the Launch Complex 36 (LC-36) integration hangar after its historic landing on the NG-2 mission. Engineers are already working on processing and refurbishing it for its next flight. Will 'Never Tell Me The Odds' fly again, or will a newer booster take the stage for the upcoming NG-3 mission?
Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp recently unveiled the first Blue Moon Mk1 lander on social media. This lander, designed for uncrewed missions, is a testing ground for the technology that will be used on the crewed Blue Moon Mk2 lander, which NASA has selected for its Artemis V mission.
The eight-meter-tall Blue Moon Mk1, weighing in at 21,350 kg and larger than the Apollo lunar module, is designed to carry approximately 3,000 kg to the lunar surface. The first Mk1, MK1-SN001, will embark on a demonstration mission, landing near Shackleton Crater in the Moon's south polar region. This crater is believed to potentially contain water ice in permanently shadowed areas, untouched by sunlight for over a billion years.
During its mission, MK1-SN001 will test vital systems, including the throttleable BE-7 engine, capable of generating up to 44,000 N of thrust and using liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as propellants, along with related cryogenic, fluid, power, and propulsion systems. It will also test avionics, continuous downlink communications, and precision landing within 100 meters of the target. These systems, or their adaptations, will also be used on the crewed Mk2 lander.
And that's not all! NASA’s Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS) will be aboard this mission to gather data on the effects of rocket exhaust on the lunar regolith. SCALPSS features four high-resolution cameras that will capture the BE-7’s plume during descent. Blue Origin plans to offer lunar payload services to customers on MK1-SN002 and subsequent landers for later missions.
In addition to the Blue Moon Mk1, another Blue Origin spacecraft is in the works: the Blue Ring. The first flight vehicle is currently being integrated, with the primary structure and internal harnessing integrated with the core propulsion module. After further integration and checkouts, the vehicle will be powered up and prepared for its first mission.
Blue Ring's initial mission will feature the Caracal optical payload, originally developed by Optimum Technologies for the U.S. Space Force’s Tactically Responsive Space program. Caracal is designed to track and image other spacecraft and objects in orbit. For this mission, Blue Ring will launch it to geosynchronous orbit for a commercial space domain awareness mission.
But that's not all! Blue Ring will also carry Scout Space’s Owl sensor, which is also designed for space domain awareness, with its own optical tracking of other spacecraft and autonomous decision-making capabilities. The Space Force will rely on these space domain awareness tools to monitor objects of interest for national security purposes.
Blue Ring can support over 4,000 kg of payload capacity across 13 ports, and its electric and chemical propulsion systems are designed to provide a delta-v – velocity capability – of at least 3,000 meters per second. Two 44 m roll-out solar panels will power the spacecraft throughout its mission. Blue Origin designed the spacecraft for Earth orbit, cislunar, and planetary missions, and uses it as the basis for its own Mars Telecommunications Orbiter proposal.
Blue Origin also unveiled its large deployable aerobrake, which it plans to use for missions to Mars and point-to-point missions on Earth. The aerobrake uses a planetary atmosphere to slow a spacecraft, saving fuel. This technology has been used on missions like Magellan to Venus and Mars Global Surveyor, but this device is specifically designed for this purpose and can be used on various spacecraft.
Designed for spacecraft weighing up to 9,000 kg, or three times more mass than conventional aeroshells, the aerobrake will allow missions to use planetary atmospheres to slow themselves. Blue Origin is offering the aerobrake, made out of an advanced 3D-woven material, in 10 m and 16 m configurations. For example, New Glenn can fit five of the folded 10 m aerobrakes in its fairing.
Now, let's talk about New Glenn upgrades! Blue Origin recently announced a series of upgrades for the current version, now known as 7x2, which will be phased in starting with the next flight. The engines on both GS1 and Glenn Stage 2 (GS2) stages will be upgraded, with plans to increase GS1’s total engine thrust – using seven BE-4 engines – from 17,219 kN to 19,928 kN. In addition, the GS2’s twin BE-3U engines will increase their total thrust from 1,423 kN to 1,779 kN.
New Glenn will start using subcooling to increase the amount of propellant loaded into its tanks, similar to Falcon 9 and Starship. As New Glenn begins to launch heavier payloads, and as engineers learn from real-world conditions, the rocket's performance capabilities will increase.
The current New Glenn 7x2 will also receive additional upgrades beyond the engines. Blue Origin plans upgrades to the rocket’s avionics, structures, and the thermal protection system that protects GS1 from the heat of reentry. The company also intends to recover and reuse its fairings, much like SpaceX's operations.
And here's the exciting part: the New Glenn 9x4! This version, named for featuring nine BE-4s and four BE-3Us, is claimed to carry over 70,000 kg to low-Earth orbit, compared to 45,000 kg for New Glenn 7x2. Alternatively, New Glenn 9x4 will carry up to 14,000 kg directly to geosynchronous orbit, or 20,000 kg to trans-lunar injection.
New Glenn 9x4 will use a larger fairing – 8.7 m wide compared to the current version's 7m – and will be taller than the 111 m tall Saturn V. The upgraded version will not replace New Glenn 7x2 but will fly concurrently to offer additional performance for payloads that require it.
While no official timeline has been released, New Glenn 9x4 could be ready as soon as 2027, although schedules are subject to change. Blue Origin aims to improve its launch cadence over this year's two New Glenn flights, with NG-3 being the next mission to fly sometime in early 2026.
What do you think about Blue Origin's ambitious plans? Are you excited about the future of space exploration? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
