Regan Brown
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and space tourism company Blue Origin, has been criticized for spending excessive amounts of his fortune on spaceflight. In 2021, Bezos became the second billionaire to ride his own rocket into space. His company's New Shepard rocket is powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, which is much cleaner than conventional rocket fuel. However, critics have pointed out that it takes a lot of energy to produce hydrogen and that every rocket poses a threat to the ozone layer. While Bezos's rocket may not emit carbon, the production of hydrogen fuel and the combustion of other propellants can generate carbon dioxide, soot, and water vapour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Rocket Name | New Shepard |
| Fuel Type | Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen |
| Engine Type | BE-3 |
| Engine Manufacturer | Blue Origin |
| Engine Power | 2,400 kN (550,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level |
| Carbon Emissions | Negligible, but poses a threat to the ozone layer |
| Passenger Count | 4 |
| Notable Passengers | Jeff Bezos, Mark Bezos, Oliver Daemen, Wally Funk |
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What You'll Learn
- Jeff Bezos' rocket uses liquid hydrogen and oxygen, not emitting carbon
- The BE-3 engine Bezos' company developed burns liquid hydrogen and oxygen
- The BE-4 engine, developed by Blue Origin, uses liquefied methane fuel
- The BE-4 engine has two production lines, supplying ULA and New Glenn
- The New Shepard rocket is fairly clean compared to other launch vehicles
Jeff Bezos' rocket uses liquid hydrogen and oxygen, not emitting carbon
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and space tourism company Blue Origin, made a 10-minute short trip to space in July 2021. He was accompanied by his brother Mark, 18-year-old Dutch student Oliver Daemen, and 82-year-old aviation pioneer Wally Funk. This trip sparked concerns about the carbon footprint of space travel.
Bezos' rocket, the New Shepard, used a Blue Engine 3 that runs on liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The rocket's engine burns hydrogen and oxygen to generate thrust, and as Darin Toohey, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, explains, the main emissions from this process are "water and some minor combustion products, and virtually no CO2". This is because there is no carbon contained in the fuel, and therefore no carbon dioxide is emitted during the launch or into the atmosphere.
Eloise Marais, an air pollution researcher at University College London, confirmed that no carbon dioxide was emitted from the Blue Origin rocket. However, she noted that none of the propellants being used in rockets are totally clean. Large quantities of water vapour are produced by burning the BE-3 propellant, and this can contribute to ozone depletion. Marais and other researchers warn that every rocket poses a threat to the ozone layer, whether from water vapour, nitrogen oxides, or particles from conventional rocket fuels.
While Bezos' rocket did not emit carbon dioxide, it is important to consider the environmental impact of rocket emissions. Water vapour and other chemicals trapped in the atmosphere can still harm the climate. Additionally, the energy required to produce hydrogen can contribute to carbon emissions, and the increased frequency of rocket launches in the future may lead to more significant climate concerns.
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The BE-3 engine Bezos' company developed burns liquid hydrogen and oxygen
Jeff Bezos' company, Blue Origin, developed the BE-3 engine, which burns liquid hydrogen and oxygen. This engine is much cleaner than conventional rocket fuel, as it does not emit carbon dioxide. However, it does produce large quantities of water vapour, which can increase the number of clouds in the atmosphere.
The BE-3 engine was first announced in January 2013, with initial thrust chamber tests planned for the following month. By December 2013, the engine had successfully completed various tests, demonstrating deep throttle, full power, long duration, and reliable restart capabilities. The final engine specifications, released in April 2015, included a minimum thrust of 89 kilonewtons (20,000 lbf) and a wide throttling capability.
The BE-3 engine was first used in a crewed flight of the New Shepard in July 2021. However, in September 2022, the New Shepard 3 suffered an engine failure, resulting in a launch abort and the loss of the vehicle. Despite this setback, a variant of the BE-3 engine was used in the inaugural orbital flight of the New Glenn in January 2025.
While the BE-3 engine has been touted as environmentally friendly, it is important to consider the energy required to produce hydrogen. Additionally, while rocket flights may not produce significant carbon dioxide emissions, they can still contribute to climate change through the release of other particles, such as soot and aluminium oxides, which can have a disproportionate impact on the atmosphere.
Overall, the BE-3 engine developed by Jeff Bezos' company, Blue Origin, offers a more environmentally benign propellant option for space travel. However, further studies are needed to fully understand the impact of rocket launches on the planet and its atmosphere.
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The BE-4 engine, developed by Blue Origin, uses liquefied methane fuel
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, owns a space tourism company called Blue Origin. On 20 July 2021, he became the second billionaire to ride his own rocket into space. The rocket, called New Shepard, took off from Van Horn in West Texas.
Blue Origin's rockets are powered by a mix of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. This is much cleaner than conventional rocket fuel, which uses carbon-based fuel. The BE-3 engine, developed by Bezos' company, burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
Blue Origin's rockets are considered fairly clean compared to other launch vehicles. The New Shepard rocket, in particular, is considered one of the cleanest launch vehicles around, as it produces very few emissions. However, it is important to note that all rocket launches pose a threat to the ozone layer, whether through water vapour, nitrogen oxides, or particles from conventional rocket fuels.
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The BE-4 engine has two production lines, supplying ULA and New Glenn
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is one of a handful of private rocketeers aiming to turn space travel into a viable business. His company, Blue Origin, uses the BE-3 engine, which burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. This engine does not emit carbon dioxide, unlike conventional rocket fuels. However, it does produce water vapour, which can increase the number of clouds in the atmosphere.
Blue Origin has also developed the BE-4 engine, which uses liquefied methane fuel and operates on an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle. This engine produces 2,400 kN (550,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level. The development of the BE-4 was funded through a combination of private investment and public contracts. Initially, the engine was intended solely for use on Blue Origin's New Glenn launch vehicle. However, in 2014, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) also selected the BE-4 for its Vulcan Centaur rocket, replacing the Atlas V. As of 2024, there are two BE-4 production lines: one supplying ULA and the other supplying New Glenn. Vulcan uses two BE-4 engines on each first stage, while New Glenn's first stage is powered by seven BE-4 engines.
While Blue Origin's rockets are relatively clean compared to other launch vehicles, they are not entirely without environmental impact. The production of hydrogen requires a lot of energy, and the combustion of propellants produces water vapour, which can affect the climate. Additionally, the concern regarding rocket flights is the emission of small particles such as soot and aluminium oxides, which can have a disproportionate impact on the atmosphere.
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The New Shepard rocket is fairly clean compared to other launch vehicles
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, took a 10-minute trip to space in his company Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. The New Shepard rocket is fairly clean compared to other launch vehicles.
The New Shepard rocket is fuelled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, which are much cleaner than conventional rocket fuels. The BE-3 engine developed by Bezos’ company burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, and does not emit carbon dioxide. In fact, the only byproduct of the New Shepard rocket's engine combustion is water vapour. Darin Toohey, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, said that the main emissions from the rocket will be water and some minor combustion products, with virtually no CO2.
However, it is important to note that the production of hydrogen requires a lot of energy, and water vapour can have an impact on the atmosphere. Eloise Marais, an air pollution researcher at University College London, has warned that every rocket poses a threat to the ozone layer, whether it is from water vapour and nitrogen oxides, or particles from conventional rocket fuels.
Furthermore, while the number of rocket launches is currently low, concerns about climate change from suborbital spacecraft could increase as launch rates rise. According to Darin Toohey, water in rocket exhaust can increase the number of clouds in the atmosphere, which can reflect sunlight back into space and reduce global heat. Therefore, while the New Shepard rocket may be cleaner than other launch vehicles, it is not without its environmental impacts.
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Frequently asked questions
Jeff Bezos' rocket, Blue Origin's New Shepard, uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
The New Shepard rocket does not emit carbon like conventional rockets. The main emissions are water and some minor combustion products.
The New Shepard rocket's fuel is much cleaner than conventional rocket fuel. The BE-3 engine developed by Blue Origin burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, while other rockets use carbon-based fuels.
The New Shepard rocket is among the cleanest launch vehicles available. However, it still poses a threat to the ozone layer, and the energy required to produce hydrogen can have environmental impacts.
