The future of Blue Origin New Glenn The rocket will join NASA’s fleet of commercial launch vehicles for flights in the mid-2020s, the agency and company announced this week.
The new signing agreement has increased the stability of NASA’s launch vehicles. The agency is already flying payloads on Blue Origin’s suburban vehicle, New Shepard, Which has flown a dozen times. New Glenn, an orbital launcher, is designed to reuse its boosters and company founders Jeff Bezos Said he hopes for a vehicle Humans will fly cargo as well.
“The award builds on Blue Origin’s current partnership with NASA and will advance science and research to benefit the Earth,” said Jarrett Jones, New Glenn’s Senior Vice President at Blue Origin. The company said in a statement. “We are proud to be in NASA’s Launch Services catalog and look forward to providing reliable launches for future NASA morning missions at New Glen for years to come.”
Related: Lunar Lander of Blue Origin: Photo Tour
The new agreement does not oblige NASA to launch any special mission on New Glen. Instead, it opened Blue Origin to compete under the NASA Launch Service II for NASA contracts, which are applicable for launches until December 2027, According to a NASA statement.
These vehicles should be able to carry at least 550 pounds. (250 kg), the design of a New Glen is easily cleaned. Unlike modern heavy commercial vehicles, SpaceX Falcon heavy And the United Launch Alliance Delta IV heavy, New Glen relies on a booster, Not three.
The heavy lift New Glenn rocket is a two-stage booster that is 313 feet (95 m) tall and has a lifting capacity of 14 tons (13 metric tons) in geometric orbit and 50 tons (45 metric tons) below orbit in Earth orbit. Its uniquely large payload ferring (which is 23 feet wide or 7 meters wide) will allow it to launch a variety of payload launches from the Blue Origin Pad at Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
The reusable first phase of the rocket will come down to the waiting sea platform after the booster launch. It is designed to fly up to 25 times, Blue Origin said. According to Blue Origin, New Glenn will make its first flight next year. That timeline makes it one of two commercial heavy rockets aimed at making a debut in 2021, with the new United Launch Alliance. Vulcan vehicle.
In addition to new roaming opportunities and existing new Shepard flights, NASA and Blue Origin may have other partnerships in their future. The company has designed Robotic Blue Moon Lander that NASA has accepted as an alternative to delivering lunar science and technology missions; In addition, Blue Origin is leading an alliance that adapts to that design. One of the three contenders To land humans on the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program.
Email Meghan Bartel at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @meghanbartels. Follow us On Twitter @speed.com and Facebook.
