To reuse or not reuse—the eternal debate of New Glenn’s second stage reignites

Engineers at Blue Origin are rekindling a long-standing discussion centered on the New Glenn rocket and its operational economics. This conversation dates back over 15 years to the initial design phases of the heavy-lift rocket. While the first stage is set to be completely reusable, the fate of the upper stage, which is powered by two large BE-3U engines, remains uncertain. Around the same period in the early 2010s, SpaceX was also contemplating the financial implications of reusing the second stage of its Falcon 9 rocket. Ultimately, Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, shifted focus from achieving a fully reusable Falcon 9 to recovering payload fairings and minimizing the manufacturing costs of the upper stage. This approach proved effective, as SpaceX has managed to reduce its internal launch costs for a Falcon 9, even with a new second stage, to approximately $15 million. The company is now aiming for full reusability with its larger Starship rocket. New Glenn, measuring 98 meters tall and with a diameter of 7 meters, is indeed larger than the Falcon 9, which stands at 70 meters and has a diameter of 3.7 meters; however, it is still smaller than the Starship. This size difference has led Blue Origin to wrestle with the decision of whether to pursue reusability for the New Glenn upper stage or to aggressively slash manufacturing costs. This internal debate has fluctuated over the years. Just over five years ago, Blue Origin initiated a project called "Project Jarvis," aimed at developing a reusable upper stage made of stainless steel; however, this initiative was later scrapped. As preparations for New Glenn's inaugural launch in early 2025 continue, both Jeff Bezos, the company’s founder, and CEO Dave Limp indicated in a recent interview that discussions regarding the upper stage, known as GS2, are ongoing. A recent job posting for a director of "Reusable Upper Stage Development" further suggests that the conversation may be leaning back toward the possibility of reusing GS2.