Katerina Swanson
Blue Origin is an American space technology company founded by Jeff Bezos in 2000. The company has been working on various projects, including the New Shepard rocket and the New Glenn rocket. The New Shepard rocket has completed several successful launches and landings, with the company aiming to reduce the cost of space tourism. The New Glenn rocket, on the other hand, is a heavy-lift launcher capable of carrying substantial payloads into low-Earth orbit. With all these developments, it is interesting to explore the amount of fuel used by Blue Origin's rockets and the types of fuel used.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of fuel | Liquid methane |
| Engine | BE-4 (Blue Engine 4) |
| Engine production location | Huntsville, Alabama |
| Engine thrust at sea level | 2,400 kN (550,000 lbf) |
| Engine thrust at takeoff | 490 kN |
| Engine cycle | Oxygen-rich staged combustion |
| Engine combustion chambers | Single |
| Engine nozzles | Single |
| Rocket name | New Glenn |
| Rocket height | 320 feet (98 meters) |
| Rocket launch mass | 75 short tons (150,000 lb; 68,000 kg) |
| Rocket launch date | 16 January 2025 |
| Rocket status | Successful launch and landing |
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What You'll Learn
The BE-4 engine uses liquefied methane fuel
The BE-4 engine, developed by Blue Origin, uses liquefied methane fuel. This engine was first announced in September 2014 and entered production in Huntsville, Alabama, in 2017. The BE-4 engine is a liquid rocket engine that operates on an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle. This combustion cycle is similar to that of kerosene-fuelled engines, but the BE-4 engine uses liquefied methane fuel and liquid oxygen propellants.
Blue Origin chose liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the fuel for the BE-4 engine because of its high efficiency, low cost, and wide availability. LNG also offers clean combustion characteristics, even at low throttle, simplifying engine reuse compared to kerosene fuels. Additionally, LNG can self-pressurize its tank, a process known as autogenous repressurization, which eliminates the need for complex and costly systems that rely on Earth's scarce helium reserves.
The BE-4 engine was initially intended for use on Blue Origin's proprietary launch vehicle, the New Glenn. However, in 2014, United Launch Alliance (ULA) also selected the BE-4 engine for its Vulcan Centaur rocket, replacing the Atlas V. The Vulcan rocket, which launched successfully in January 2024, is powered by two BE-4 engines, each producing 2,400 kN (550,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level.
The BE-4 engine has undergone rigorous testing and development, with Blue Origin taking a hardware-rich approach to ensure a high test tempo and rapid learning. The engine is designed for long life and high reliability, aiming to be a medium-performing version of a high-performance architecture to meet performance, schedule, and reusability requirements.
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LNG is highly efficient, low-cost, and widely available
Blue Origin, an American space technology company, has developed a liquid rocket engine called the BE-4. This engine uses liquefied natural gas (LNG) as its fuel, which Blue Origin chose for three key reasons: LNG is highly efficient, low-cost, and widely available.
LNG is highly efficient due to its clean combustion characteristics, even at low throttle. This simplifies engine reuse compared to kerosene fuels, which require costly and complex systems that draw on Earth's scarce helium reserves. LNG, on the other hand, can self-pressurize its tank, a process known as autogenous repressurization, reducing the need for additional complex systems. This efficiency is further enhanced by LNG's ability to be used in a medium-performing version of a high-performance architecture, lowering development risk while still meeting performance, schedule, and reusability requirements.
The low-cost nature of LNG is twofold. Firstly, as mentioned earlier, it eliminates the need for costly systems required by kerosene. Secondly, LNG is readily available, which helps keep costs down.
LNG is widely available, and its selection as the fuel for the BE-4 engine was a conscious decision to avoid the complexities associated with kerosene-based systems. LNG's availability also contributes to keeping costs low, and its use in the BE-4 engine ensures that the engine can be made available to other companies, promoting collaboration and advancement in the space technology sector.
The BE-4 engine is used in Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, which first launched in January 2025. New Glenn is a heavy-lift launcher capable of placing substantial payloads into low-Earth orbit and is expected to carry up to 45 tons into orbit. With a height of 320 feet, it is both larger and more powerful than its predecessor, the New Shepard, which is used for suborbital space tourism.
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The BE-3PM engine was the first new liquid hydrogen-fuelled rocket engine
Blue Origin, an American space technology company, has developed a family of engines to power the next generation of rockets for commercial, civil, national security, and human spaceflight. One of these engines is the BE-3PM, which is a liquid hydrogen-fuelled rocket engine.
Blue Origin has also developed the BE-4 engine, which is a liquid rocket engine that uses liquefied methane fuel and operates on an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle. The BE-4 produces 2,400 kN (550,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level. It was initially intended for use on Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket but has also been selected by United Launch Alliance (ULA) for their Vulcan Centaur rocket. The Vulcan rocket is a successor to the Atlas V and uses two BE-4 engines on each first stage.
The New Glenn rocket, named after the legendary astronaut John Glenn, is a heavy-lift launcher capable of placing substantial payloads into low-Earth orbit. It is larger and more powerful than the New Shepard and is expected to carry up to 45 tons into orbit. The New Glenn first successfully launched in January 2025 and has the potential to carry crewed spacecraft.
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The BE-3U powers the New Glenn upper stage
The New Glenn rocket is designed to have a partially reusable, two-stage design with a 7-metre diameter. The first stage is powered by seven BE-4 engines, while the second stage relies on two BE-3U engines, all designed and built in-house by Blue Origin. The BE-3U engines generate 175,000 lbf (778 kN) of vacuum thrust, with in-space restart capabilities that promote versatility for New Glenn's second stage.
The New Glenn rocket was first announced in 2016, with the inaugural vehicle unveiled in February 2024. Its maiden flight took place on 16 January 2025, carrying a prototype Blue Ring spacecraft. Blue Origin has stated that the planned full operational payload capacity of the two-stage version of New Glenn would be 13,000 kg (29,000 lb) to GTO and 45,000 kg (99,000 lb) to a 51.6-degree inclined LEO.
The BE-3U engines are assembled at Blue Origin's engines manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama, and are designed and developed at the company's headquarters in Kent, Washington. Blue Origin also produces the BE-4 and BE-7 engines in Huntsville and tests its engines and propulsion subsystems near Van Horn, Texas, and at Test Stand 4670 in Huntsville.
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The BE-4 engine produces 2,400 kN of thrust at sea level
The BE-4 engine, also known as the Blue Engine 4, is a liquid rocket engine developed by Blue Origin. Blue Origin is an American space technology company founded by Jeff Bezos in 2000. The BE-4 engine was first developed in 2011, with the public announcement made in September 2014. This engine is unique as it combusts liquid oxygen and methane propellants, with LNG (liquefied natural gas) as its fuel. LNG is highly efficient, low cost, and widely available, making it a superior choice to kerosene.
The BE-4 engine is designed for long life and high reliability, and it achieves this by being a medium-performing version of a high-performance architecture. This design choice lowers development risk while meeting performance, schedule, and reusability requirements. The engine produces 2,400 kN (550,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level. This high level of thrust is due to the engine's oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle, which involves a single oxygen-rich preburner and a single turbine driving fuel and oxygen pumps.
The BE-4 engine has been used in several rockets, including Blue Origin's New Glenn and the United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket. The Vulcan Centaur rocket, which first launched on January 8, 2024, is powered by two BE-4 engines, each producing 2,400 kN of thrust. Similarly, the New Glenn rocket, which first launched on January 16, 2025, is also powered by the BE-4 engine.
The BE-4 engine has been a significant development in rocket technology, with its efficient and reliable design. Its medium-performing version of a high-performance architecture has allowed it to balance development risks and performance requirements effectively. The engine's high thrust of 2,400 kN at sea level has enabled it to power large rockets like the New Glenn, which stands at 320 feet (98 meters) tall.
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Frequently asked questions
The BE-4 engine, used by Blue Origin, is a liquid rocket engine that uses liquefied methane fuel and operates on an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle.
The BE-4 engine produces 2,400 kN (550,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level.
LNG (liquefied natural gas) is highly efficient, low cost, and widely available. LNG can also self-pressurize its tank, a process known as autogenous repressurization, which eliminates the need for costly and complex systems.
