Comparison of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rockets with other launch vehicles in the market. Photo: Blue Origin

[Via Satellite 09-13-2016] Blue Origin has introduced New Glenn, its new reusable, vertical-landing booster. Named in honor of John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, New Glenn is 23 feet in diameter and lifts off with 3.85 million pounds of thrust from seven BE-4 engines. Burning liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen, these are the same BE-4 engines that will power United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) new Vulcan rocket.

The 2-stage New Glenn is 270 feet tall, and a single vacuum-optimized BE-4 engine powers its second stage. The 3-stage New Glenn is 313 feet tall, powered by a single vacuum-optimized BE-3 engine, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The booster and the second stage are identical in both variants.

“We plan to fly New Glenn for the first time before the end of this decade from historic Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, Florida,” said Blue Origin Founder Jeff Bezos.

The company intends New Glenn to launch commercial satellites and to fly humans into space. The 3-stage variant — with its high specific impulse hydrogen upper stage — is capable of flying beyond-LEO missions, according to Bezos.