On board, the 98-meter-high rocket carries a prototype of the Pathfinder, a space platform also made in-house. The latter must ultimately be capable of navigating from one orbit to another in order to provide services of different types (cargo, supplies, communications, etc.). The NG-1 mission, planned to last six hours, should make it possible to test the critical elements of the launcher and communications with the ground infrastructure. The green light for this certification flight was obtained after a successful test on December 27, 2024 which implemented the entire launcher.
Learn quickly even if it means failing
Through this flight, Blue Origin is aiming for a feat that even SpaceX had not even imagined: recovering the first stage of the launcher on the first test on a barge located offshore in the Atlantic, approximately 1000 kilometers from the coast. “This is our first flight and we have prepared rigorously for it, said Jarrett Jones, senior vice president for New Glenn in a Jan. 6 release. The objective is to test as quickly as possible to learn from the field. “No matter how many ground tests or simulations, there is no substitute for a real flight. It’s time to fly. Whatever happens, we will learn, adjust and apply this knowledge to our next launch”.
Blue Origin’s integrated industrial model more closely resembles that of Space X than ArianeGroup. For one thing, its rocket is reusable thanks to its in-house manufactured BE-4 and BE-3U variable-thrust engines that power New Glenn’s first and second stages, respectively. The first floor could be reused a minimum of 25 times.
Jeff Bezos’ company is banking on the high capacity of its launcher to stand out from the competition. The New Glenn’s approximately 7 meter high fairing would offer its customers twice the volume of other launchers and new possibilities for arranging their satellites, according to Blue Origin.
The 7 BE-4 engines of the first stage and the 3 engines of the second stage can transport up to 45 tonnes into low orbit and 13 tonnes into geostationary orbit. For comparison, Ariane 6 and Falcon 9 have a carrying capacity of around twenty tonnes in low orbit, or half as much. Finally, the Blue Origin launcher was designed from the outset for manned flight.
Still a long way to catch up with SpaceX
However, it will be a long way to catch up with Space X, which is several steps ahead. Fully tested, Falcon 9 makes almost two flights per week with impressive reliability. Its availability even allowed it to recover launches on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA) when its launchers (Ariane 6, Vega) were not yet ready or grounded for technical reasons.
The New Glenn is not the only one wanting to compete with Elon Musk’s rocket. After years of crisis, space Europe regained its autonomy of access to space last year. On the one hand, Ariane 6 made its maiden flight last July and is due to make its first commercial launch next February. On the other hand, the smaller capacity European rocket, Vega C, successfully returned to flight last December.
Still in the starting blocks, Blue Origin already has its work cut out for it… thanks to its parent company. In 2022, Amazon has ordered 27 New Glenn launchers (including 15 as an option) to orbit some of the more than 3,000 satellites in the Kuiper constellation which will ultimately compete with that of Starlink operated by Space customers to satisfy: NASA, AST SpaceMobile as well as several satellite telecommunications operators. Starting late, there is no doubt that Jeff Bezos is banking on a space remake of the fable of the hare and the tortoise. Blue Origine is actively preparing for this. The company already has several New Glenn rockets in production.
Source: www.usinenouvelle.com
