reusable rockets

New Glenn NG-2 ESCAPADE lifting off on November 13. 2025 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
New Glenn NG-2 ESCAPADE lifting off on November 13. 2025 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
New Glenn NG-2 ESCAPADE lifting off on November 13. 2025
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Blue Origin is picking up the pace in Cape Canaveral. The company announced today that the next flight of New Glenn (NG-3) is scheduled for NET late February. NG-2, New Glenn’s second flight, launched on November 13, 2025 on a wholly successful mission to launch two NASA satellites to Mars. NG-3 will come within 4 months of that.

Blue is planning to use the same New Glenn booster as it did with NG-2 — “Never Tell Me The Odds.” That booster landed on Blue Origin’s recovery ship “Jacklyn” after its debut flight, and Blue Origin engineers must feel confident enough in the refurbishment and flight preparation for NTMTO that the company can schedule a target date for its next flight. This flight will mark the first re-use of a New Glenn booster.

After NG-2, Blue Origin's recovery ship 'Jacklyn' with the mission's booster arrive back in Port Canaveral in November 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer
After NG-2, Blue Origin’s recovery ship ‘Jacklyn’ with the mission’s booster arrive back in Port Canaveral in November 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer

Payload Announcement for NG-3

Blue Origin also announced that NG-3 will carry AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation Block 2 BlueBird satellite to low Earth orbit.

AST SpaceMobile selected Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket in November 2024 to launch satellites for its Bluebird cellular broadband network. The constellation will serve both commercial and government telecommunications markets, providing seamless connectivity as mobile devices transition between ground-based cellular towers and space-based coverage—delivering broadband access anywhere on Earth.

“We’re proud to have AST SpaceMobile as our customer on NG-3,” said Dave Limp, CEO, Blue Origin in a press release announcing the flight timeline. “Our customers need a reliable, cost-effective launch vehicle, and New Glenn is purpose-built to serve their needs.” 

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blue origin 9x4 flight
Blue Origin New Glenn 9X4 in flight. Credit: Blue Origin

It has been a big week for Blue Origin, first with the second launch of New Glenn, the successful landing of the first stage. As they were moving the first stage of last week’s New Glenn flight, the company casually made three major announcements today in one press release: a new, supersized New Glenn for megapayloads, ramping up the power output of its BE-4 and BE-3U engine used on the second stage of the current New Glenn, as well as the 9X4. It might be a while for the megarocket to be on the launch pad, but the engine advancements start arriving on the next New Glenn flight, NG-3.

Evolving Quickly

The first major upgrade is a boost in engine performance across both stages. The seven BE 4 engines on the booster will now deliver about 4.5 million pounds of thrust, up from 3.9 million. On the stand, BE 4 has already hit 625,000 pounds of thrust with its current propellant setup and is on track to reach 640,000 later this year. Subcooling the propellant raises the engine’s output well above its previous 550,000 pound level.

The upper stage is getting a similar lift. Its pair of BE 3U engines will move from a planned 320,000 pounds of thrust to roughly 400,000 over the next few flights. BE 3U has already shown 211,658 pounds on the test stand.

These performance gains directly support customers already booked to fly on New Glenn to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and farther than that. Other vehicle updates include a reusable fairing for a higher flight tempo, a redesigned tank that lowers manufacturing cost, and a new thermal protection system that can be reused and cuts turnaround time.

Blue Origin said in their press release today that the improvements and upgrades will be phased into upcoming New Glenn missions beginning with NG-3.  

Super-Heavy: The New Glenn 9X4

On the right, the New Glenn 9×4 variant. It will be taller than a Saturn V and the SLS Block 1 rockets. Credit: Blue Origin

The next significant step in the evolution of the New Glenn program is a new super-heavy rocket. Called New Glenn 9×4, a nod to the engine layout on each stage, it targets missions that need more lift and higher performance. It can place more than 70 metric tons into low Earth orbit, over 14 metric tons directly into geosynchronous orbit, and more than 20 metric tons on a translunar trajectory. The 9×4 will also carry a wider 8.7 meter fairing.

Both the 9×4 and the current 7×2 version will operate in parallel, giving customers more flexibility across mission types, from mega-constellations to lunar and deep space work to national security needs such as Golden Dome or larger NSSL payloads.

Presumably, the new variant will also be built at Blue Origin’s factory in Exploration Park across from the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center.

No mission or date for the upgraded rocket was given.

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