Northstar engine cuts New Glenn costs by 75%

Blue Origin claims it can build a rocket engine that costs one-fourth of its current model while generating more thrust. The company announced the development of the Northstar engine on Thursday at the UP.Summit conference in Florida. This new hardware is designed to replace the BE-4 engine that currently powers the first stage of the New Glenn rocket.

The Northstar engine starts with a thrust of 715,000 pounds. This exceeds the 640,000 pounds of thrust provided by the existing BE-4 engine. Blue Origin states the new design uses half the number of parts and has 30 percent less mass than the engine it will replace. Approximately 65 percent of the Northstar components will be created using 3D printing technology.

Dave Limp, chief executive officer of Blue Origin, said the goal is to reduce manufacturing time to less than one day per engine. He noted that the company has already begun a test-firing campaign for the Northstar. "To get access to space at a lower cost, we have to look at every part of the vehicle," Limp said. "This is going to be a game-changer."

The company also announced it is developing a hydrogen-oxygen third stage called GS3. This addition will provide extra propulsion for missions to geostationary orbit and the Moon. Blue Origin aims to use these upgrades to launch New Glenn more than 1,000 times a year in the future.

Limp stated that demand for space launch has never been higher. The Northstar engine uses the same propellant mixture as the BE-4, burning methane and liquid oxygen. It utilizes an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle and a single-shaft turbopump architecture.

Blue Origin will continue to manufacture the BE-4 engine for United Launch Alliance. United Launch Alliance uses two BE-4 engines to power its Vulcan rocket. The transition to Northstar for New Glenn will occur as testing and production ramp up.