Blue Origin says it’s just getting started with the New Glenn rocket

In a bold move following the recent success of its New Glenn rocket’s second launch, Blue Origin has announced an exciting roadmap for the rocket's future enhancements. The company disclosed on Thursday that it is working on a new variant featuring additional main engines and enhanced heavy-lift capabilities. According to Blue Origin, these upgrades aim to elevate payload performance and increase launch frequency while also improving reliability. The enhancements will be rolled out gradually, with the third launch of New Glenn expected in the first half of 2026. A key highlight of this plan is the transition of New Glenn into a super-heavy lift vehicle. The upgraded first stage will incorporate nine BE-4 engines, a jump from the current seven, while the upper stage will see an increase from two to four BE-4 engines. Blue Origin has named the new configuration 9×4, contrasting it with the existing 7×2 variant, which refers to the engine counts in each stage. "New Glenn 9×4 is tailored for missions that require enhanced capacity and performance," the company stated. This powerful vehicle is designed to transport over 70 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, more than 14 metric tons directly to geosynchronous orbit, and over 20 metric tons for trans-lunar injection. Furthermore, the 9×4 variant will boast a larger fairing measuring 8.7 meters in diameter. While Blue Origin has not provided a specific launch timeline for the 9×4 variant, a company representative indicated that the design's iterative nature allows for quicker production. An insider familiar with the company’s strategy suggested that the 9×4 could potentially take to the skies as early as 2027. This upgraded booster would be significant, with a lifting capacity approaching that of NASA's Space Launch System rocket, but with the advantage of a fully reusable first stage and a more extensive payload fairing, all at a fraction of the estimated $2.2 billion cost of NASA’s super-heavy launch vehicle.