Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, has announced plans for a super-heavy variant of its New Glenn rocket. This new version will be taller than the iconic Saturn V rocket and will rival SpaceX’s Starship in capabilities. The upgraded New Glenn will feature nine rocket engines on the booster stage and four on the upper stage, allowing it to carry over 70 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, positioning it closer to Starship’s capacity. The larger rocket will also have a significantly expanded fairing to accommodate bigger payloads, making it suitable for various missions, including mega-constellations, lunar exploration, deep space missions, and national security operations. Blue Origin is actively competing with SpaceX for NASA moon missions, and this latest development underscores its commitment to enhancing its rocket technology.
Source: TechCrunch