Blue Origin Competes with Starship with Its Massive New Glenn 9×4 Rocket

Blue Origin has unveiled a super-heavy version of the New Glenn rocket, featuring higher carrying capacity for orbital and lunar missions.

The new model, named New Glenn 9×4, can carry over 70 tons of payload to low Earth orbit (LEO) and utilizes an extended payload fairing with a diameter of 8.7 meters.

Bigger Design, More Power

The first stage of the New Glenn 9×4 features nine BE-4 engines, while the upper stage houses four BE-3U engines. This represents a significant increase compared to the seven-plus-two engine layout currently in use.

This new configuration elevates New Glenn into the super-heavy class, positioning the vehicle closer to SpaceX Starship and surpassing the capacity of most commercial rockets. The growth of both the booster and the second stage expands the mission range.

The New Glenn 9×4 is capable of delivering over 70 tons to low Earth orbit, over 14 tons directly to geostationary orbit, and over 20 tons to trans-lunar injection (TLI). This opens up a much wider field for commercial, scientific, and defense missions. For comparison, Starship can carry over 100 tons to low Earth orbit.

Additionally, the massive 8.7-meter payload fairing allows for the launch of more voluminous satellites and multi-mission packages. Blue Origin stated that this design was developed to support mega-constellation projects, Moon and deep space missions, and national security needs similar to “Golden Dome.”

Improvements Coming to the Existing New Glenn

Despite the prominence of the 9×4 model, Blue Origin announced that performance updates are also being made to the existing 7×2 version. These innovations will be implemented gradually, starting with the NG-3 flight.

The total thrust of the seven BE-4 engines is being increased from 3.9 million lbf to 4.5 million lbf. The company reported that the BE-4 engine produced 625,000 lbf in tests and will reach the 640,000 lbf level by the end of the year, exceeding 550,000 lbf with chilled fuel. The two BE-3U engines in the second stage are also gaining power, with total thrust rising from 320,000 lbf to 400,000 lbf. Blue Origin reported that the BE-3U reached 211,658 lbf in tests.

In addition to these, changes such as reusable payload fairings, lower-cost tank designs, and an improved thermal protection system are also coming. The goal is to reduce the preparation time between missions.

Blue Origin emphasized that the 9×4 will not replace the 7×2, but that both models will be used simultaneously to offer customers different capacity and timing options.

This announcement came just a few days after New Glenn’s second flight, in which it successfully carried NASA‘s ESCAPADE Mars probes and landed its booster back on the ship. With the new 9×4 design, Blue Origin aims to increase its competition in the heavy payload market and strengthen its position in lunar logistics programs.

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