New Shepard
Most well known for obvious reasons. Not much to say honestly. I guess tail numbers
NS-3 is for cargo, but hasn’t been flying much recently (1 in 2021).
NS-4 is for crew/cargo, but will probably only fly crew because of higher demand/profit.
NS-5 and 6 are in the works; unclear when they’ll start flying though.
Main question I have right now is what is the min turnaround time; because demand outstrips supply significantly right now. Can be reflown somewhere between 25 and 100 times.
“Last November, after it successfully flew and landed its New Shepard rocket powered by a single BE-3 engine, it refurbished the vehicle at a cost “in the small tens of thousands of dollars,” Bezos said. His technicians never even removed the engine from the vehicle.”
New Shepard is also in block development; with NS-4 being Block 1. Future blocks could do things like increase performance to give longer duration flight.
NS-4 is aiming to be reused 25 times, but with later versions they want to push that to 100 times.
The company hopes to reach a flight cadence of one human mission about every two weeks within the next year or two, a goal that does not seem out of reach.
// So we should see NS-5 debut in this period as well as turn around times decreasing.
Current seat price of 1.25 mil.
Targeting 40 flights/year
“We make money on every flight,” said Bob Smith, the chief executive of Blue Origin.”
“The most popular option, Mr. Smith said, is what Blue Origin calls a single storage locker. “That starts around $100,000 for about 25 pounds and something the size of, let’s say, a microwave,” he said. “But we also have many payloads that we use with students that go as low as $8,000.””
Looking at this graphic Blue Origin can fit 36 lockers giving total cargo flight revenue of 3.6 mil. But there are also external payloads like the NASA lunar sensors demo payload which was 1.5mil for 2 launches.
New Glenn
Again, you already know what it is. 45 tons to LEO 7m fairing 7 BE-4 reusable first stage, 2 BE-3U second stage.
Hardware wise we’ve seen flight interstage and fairings as well as various domes/tank sections being manufactured. They’ve got the pathfinder booster doing flow ops at the Cape. It’s progressing. The last public date was Q4 2022, but it’s slipped to 2023.
“they're only building 2 New Glenn first stages... at least Block 1”
Edit: with the planned cadence because of Kuiper, this has been ramped up to 4 boosters.
Reuse wise they plan to refly boosters 25 times. Given a target of 12 launches/year, with first launch in 2023, 5 in 2024 and ~12 in every year after that gets them to 2028. Confirms that there will be block upgrades, although this isn't a big surprise. And here’s a job for New Glenn Block 2 First Stage Engineer
The original form used a cluster of BE-3s on the first stage and a BE-3U second stage. Got dropped because well, hydrolox isn’t that good for first stages.
They’re using peroxide thrusters for the New Glenn first stage.
Talking about flying logistics missions to Reef on Glenn. Does this mean tug + a cargo spacecraft? Or just existing spacecraft like DreamChaser
There will be a third stage in future; I would guess it’s a BE-7 tug (discussed later) with heavy commonality with Transfer Element. But probably not the same; you would want a 7m diameter stage so it can hold the fairing.
(you could put it inside the fairing, but I think it would end up taking a rather large part of the fairing leaving not much room for a payload.)
Clipper and Lunar Clipper
New Glenn is also now moving to full reusability with Clipper. All the known public details about what this might be like are in the Ars article, which refers to it as Jarvis but as I understand it, Jarvis is a separate program at Blue Origin.
“Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth. As part of a hardworking team of diverse specialists, technicians, engineers and leaders, you will own the systems engineering for a reusable upper stage” (Clipper Program Job Description)
As part of a hardworking team of diverse engineers, you guide the development of the fully reusable next-generation New Glenn.”
One job description for Lunar Clipper, which makes it sound like they’re going to send the reusable upper stage for New Glenn around the Moon, which raises a whole heck of a lot of implications.
“As the IPT leader for Lunar Clipper Thermal Protections Systems (TPS), you will be part of the Lifecycle Project and Program Management organization within the Advanced Development Programs (ADP) business area and will report day to day to the Lunar Clipper Program Director leading an integrated program team charged with developing TPS for this vehicle.”
Speculation on use case;
Now with Blue Moon and 2 stage architectures, I didn’t ever think that it made sense to make the tug stage refuelable because to refuel it generally required a expendending a hydrolox stage with autonomous cislunar navigation and docking capabilities; basically the same as the actual tug. So you’re still expending the same amount of hardware but also you’re adding the complexity of the refuelling interfaces and are also throwing away new hardware to reuse old hardware. Ie; it’s a no benefit, lose and lose situation. Maybe the refuelling tug could be slightly less complicated, but not by much.
But if you could refuel a Clipper and send it to the Moon to act as a tanker to refuel the stages and then return to Earth to be reused, well then that’s a lot more interesting. Now suddenly the trade is 2 expendable tug stages each landing and the 2 associated NG launches or 3 NG launches with Clipper. Sounds pretty attractive if you’re reusing everything and a bit easier to scale.
Clipper- Senior Technical Project Manager
“Reusability is key to all three objectives. New Glenn’s reusable first stage is the first step, but you can help us achieve total reusability by working on the hardest problems in rocketry. Join us to shape what’s next.”
Linkedin stalking stage.
Edit; uhhh I’m unable to find the linkedin page where I found this. Are people watching me and actively scrubbing records? WHERE IS THIS FROM? I promise you guys this is a screenshot.
“Simulation lead for Lunar Clipper program”
Design Engineer / Responsible Engineer - New Glenn Clipper Tanks
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmadreza-abbasi-baharanchi-49b5b013/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elias-presswood-10408815/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-pender-b2a29494/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/myousefi2016/
Jarvis
Jarvis is a program at Blue Origin, but not the reusable upper stage, which is Clipper.
This is a job description
“As part of a diverse and hardworking team of you will lead a team of engineers, designers, technicians, and welders on the development of new space vehicle(s).”
The images of test tanks we’ve seen at the Cape are Jarvis.
Tank tests for the purpose of developing the reusable stage?
Now we get really scuffed because we have a job posting that in the URL states “Clipper--Senior-Technical-Project-Manager” but is then “Jarvis- Senior Technical Project Manager”
“New Glenn’s reusable first stage is the first step, but you can help us achieve total reusability by working on the hardest problems in rocketry. Join us to shape what’s next.
The company celebrates strong collaboration, unique and innovative solutions, and passion for success. We are searching for fast response, excellent judgement, and enthusiasm to join our diverse team onsite at Cape Canaveral, FL.”
Jarvis is a precursor program to lead into Clipper?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-oswald-5655b0207/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-connerton-1359a1163/
New Armstrong
New Armstrong is kinda unusual because we received basically nothing from Blue about it since its first mention back in 2016 aside from its name and that it's a bigger™ launch vehicle. But Bezos keeps on mentioning it and they’ve been discussing launchpads for it at the cape, so it implies that it’s at least conceptually real. Name obviously indicates that it’s a Moon rocket; but how that fits in with New Glenn Clipper and Blue Moon already existing is confusing to me. Is it just going to be Starship but with hydrolox?
- Fully reusable SHLV, with a diameter >10m, RTLS
- Doesn’t use BE-4 on the first stage; if so, I think it’s the BE-9.
“Blue Origin is currently talking with NASA about constructing a new, large launch facility for their New Armstrong rocket north of 39B, where the original Pad 39C would have been located. This new facility, if built, would be named Launch Complex 49. The Environmental Impact Study for the planned launch site is currently underway.” Source
Orbital Reef
Space station in collaboration with SNC, Boeing and others. They’re building large diameter modules and a tug towards this end. Everything is kinda public and well known. Blue are committing substantial funds (~1bil) to making it happen. Initial phase will support 10 people. Full station will support 30. With the initial 3-4 elements it’s 90% of the volume of the ISS with the solar arrays providing 100 kWe (ISS has 215 kWe currently).The Blue Origin core modules are ~6m in diameter.
Of course Blue Origin does want to build more than just Orbital Reef, so they’ll have plans for larger stations as well. But those will be for 2040s/50s, Reef in growth config is very large and will do 2030s. Each core segment is designed to support 10 people. SAA indicates that spacesuits will be available to do EVAs in and they’ve probably got a render for a co-orbital artificial gravity experiment. Multiple job descriptions mention it as well.
Using SEP stored in the mast and RCS in the ring. SEP is preferred for reboost as it affects the science on the station less than chemical because of lower thrust.
Blue Moon/Lander in General
With all HLS/option A drama now mostly over, people tend to forget that Blue is still working towards this, especially with Appendix N selection. It’s shape is a bit nebulous right now. Blue Origin wants it to be “a large, flexible, reusable commercial lander for cargo or crew,” so that’s going to change up the situation a bit.
It’s been through a lot. Initially it was a methalox lander then it switched to hydrolox and was being matured until being officially unveiled. Then it was involved in Appendix E and the 2019 rush and Appendix H which led to the shape changing more. During the base period they changed the diameter to make it thinner so that it could launch on 5.4m fairing vehicles. It’s now taking on a new form with the sustainable phase proposal being focussed on. Sustainable phase design is 2 stage architecture (ascent stage and descent stage combined).
- Lunar Pathfinder is the name of the demo mission designed to demonstrate the tech. Presumably it was supposed to fly in 2023, although that may now be pushed back with Option A falling through.
(the source selection does mention technology applicability to a Mars exploration ;) (Blue’s shield does have Mars as a destination)
“As part of a team of engineers, you are accountable for the orbital refueling phase of a Reusable Space Transportation system. This role shares in the team’s impact on all aspects of a novel space vehicle where you will use your past experiences on rapid program development and cryogenic propellent transfer, storage, and management to manage the risk reduction for propellant transfer. “
Methalox Blue Moon
Hydrolox Blue Moon
Stretched version (6.5 tons to lunar surface) + Blue built ascent vehicle
National Team Integrated Landing Vehicle
Redesign of descent element in base period to allow for 5.4m fairings
Lander submitted for Option A
Sustainable phase design
Not official, just a guess. You’re off a little bit. It’s not exactly like this. But it’s reasonably close.\
SLD winning lander
- Lander is single-stage and reusable
- Lander stays in NRHO; does not go back to LEO for refuelling. Instead...
- A transfer vehicle shuttles between LEO and NRHO. It is refuelled in LEO by New Glenn
- Lander height = 16 meters.
- Lander empty mass = 16 metric tons.
- Lander wet mass = 45 metric tons.
- Layout bottom to top: BE-7 engines, crew cabin, LOX tank with solar panel attached, LH2 tank with radiators attached, top ring with comms antennas and RCS.
- Crew cabin also holds docking port on one side and crew surface access hatch on other side.
- Crew cabin capable of holding 4 suited crew members.
- Initial duration of surface stay is one week.
- Lander can deliver 20 metric tons of cargo to lunar surface in reusable uncrewed mode.
- Lander can deliver 30 metric tons of cargo to lunar surface in one-way (=disposable) uncrewed mode.
- Multiple test missions will be flown to test the new technology (particularly solar powered 20 Kelvin cryo coolers).
- At least one uncrewed test landing before first crewed landing attempt. The latter is tentatively scheduled for Artemis 5 in 2029.
Tug(s)
Work done under the Space Mobility Program Management Office.
Tugs have been on the dev side for a while and multiple are in the works. At a baseline we have Blue Ring, the one Orbital Reef uses which is a last mile tug to move stuff around. Tugs are mentioned here as an important step for transport from LEO to lunar orbit and as a way of getting reusable in cislunar space. Job description
Figure: Blue Ring hypergolic space tug for delivery station modules to Orbital Reef.
The third stage for New Glenn will likely effectively act like a tug.
There is also the hydrolox tug as part of Blue Moon
And the spacecraft described in the Nelson Letter does sound awfully like a tug tbh:
“Blue Origin will, at its own cost, contribute the development and launch of a pathfinder mission to low-Earth orbit of the lunar descent element to further retire development and schedule risks. This pathfinder mission is offered in addition to the baseline plan of performing a precursor uncrewed landing mission prior to risking any astronauts to the Moon. This contribution to the program is above and beyond the over $1B of corporate contribution cited in our Option A proposal that funds items such as our privately developed BE-7 lunar lander engine and indefinite storage of liquid hydrogen in space.”
Job description for Blue Moon role focussing on the lunar pathfinder mission:
“Our Lunar Pathfinder mission will demonstrate the lander’s core capabilities – including the privately funded BE-7 landing engine, precision landing sensors, and advanced integrated power and propulsion architecture – on an early New Glenn flight. The team building this vehicle is rethinking how space systems are designed, with a high-performing architecture, efficient reusability, and rapid design iteration. Come join our team and pave the road to permanent lunar presence.”
“Blue Origin is self-funding rapid development of multiple in-space flight systems – over a range of sizes, propellant types, and technical challenges. Our versatile spacecraft will serve a wide variety of customers and missions, starting in just three years. A hardware-rich prototyping approach allows rapid design/build iteration. On these unique programs, you will experience the full lifecycle from formulation to flight in a short time, while achieving historic milestones.”
Reusable Space Transportation Tanking Technical Lead - Advanced Development Programs
“As part of a team of engineers, you are accountable for the technical deliveries relating to the orbital refueling and management of a Reusable Space Transportation system. This role shares in the team’s impact on all aspects of a novel space vehicle where you will use your past experiences on rapid program development and cryogenic propellent transfer, storage, and management to manage the technical development of propellant transfer…
Lead the engineering effort of major programs such as the orbital refueling and management of cryogenic propellants for reusable launch vehicles and spacecraft…
Ability to use advanced fluid systems engineering methods to lead the design and development of systems such as cryogenic fuels transfer and gauging systems for launch vehicle and spacecraft”
Senior Trajectory, Mission, and Maneuver Design Engineer
“As part of a hardworking team of diverse launch vehicle development engineers, you will study and develop advanced concepts for reusable in-space and reentry systems and solve challenging problems in trajectory analysis and mission design…
Lead trajectory mission, and maneuver design for Earth-to-orbit and reentry vehicles”
For many types of satellite systems, including the in-orbit service missions that Blue Origin intends to operate, this is simply not an issue because of the capability of sharing
Source
Facilities
1,000,000 sqft at cape
https://twitter.com/EmreKelly/status/1441435238626996225
https://twitter.com/Harry__Stranger/status/1493557835032330245
300,000 sqft Washington factory
232,885 sqft Kent Headquarters
https://www.geekwire.com/2020/blue-origin-takes-one-giant-leap-across-street-new-headquarters-kent/
300,000 sqft Alabama Engine factory
https://theljc.com/projects/blue-origin
Orbital Capsule
With all the mentions of New Glenn being human rated, Jeff Bezos vision and the history of Blue in regards to CCP and New Shepard, it should come as no surprise that they have a capsule to launch on New Glenn. At this stage it probably isn’t a priority because there are 4 US crew vehicles ahead of it and able to service relevant destinations. But… if the capsule massed 10 tons with a 35 ton hydrolox tug/service module with a dry mass percentage of 15% that would give you 4,800m/s of ∆V, exceeding the 4,100m/s requirement for LEO-NRHO-Earth Return; well Blue could launch crew to Gateway.
Alternatively could focus on getting ticket prices to LEO cheaper via scale (~20 crew) to open up the market.
They are working with NASA on it; being in concept maturation stage for crew transportation and going through various SAAs with NASA on stuff like aerodynamic modelling (this might be a New Shepard SAA agreement though) (but working on aerodynamic modelling of New Shepard in 2021 feels wack)
‘New Glenn flying people is 7-8 years down the road (in 2018) and is something actively being worked towards,’ would want an increase in launch from 12 and multiple launch sites.
“you will be responsible for identifying, developing and demonstrating technologies in the area of entry, descent, and landing (EDL) for launch, in-space systems, planetary landers and crewed vehicles”
Granted they could also be looking at flying other crew vehicles on New Glenn.
Engines
Blue also has a history with a fair amount of engines/variants.
- BE-1: Pressure fed peroxide mono (9kN)
- BE-2: Pump fed keroxide (140kN)
- BE-3PM: Tap off hydrolox (490kN), can throttle to 90kN (~20%)
- BE-3U: Open expander hydrolox (710kN)
- BE-4 Block OG: ORSC Methalox (1780kN) Not an official designation, but the original design was a bit lower thrust but Vulcan requirements drove a redesign (wait og is an actual designation kekw)
- BE-4 Block 1 VC: ORSC Methalox (2,450kN)
- BE-4 Block 1 NG: ORSC Methalox (2,450kN) (different ignitor setup to enable relight)
- BE-4 Block 2: Features performance improvements and upgrades to enable 25 reuses. (or maybe 100 reuses?)
- BE-4U: Vac optimised BE-4 for the OG NG second stage
- BE-5: Methalox lunar landing engine (49kN) (got replaced by BE-7)
- BE-6: ?
- BE-7: Dual expander hydrolox lunar landing engine (40kN) (453s)
- BE-7 Block 2: Performance improvements to enable sustainable phase architecture
They are using electric propulsion for station keeping on Reef. They also have chemical ACS thrusters for Reef.
The nitrogen cold gas thrusters package on the New Shepard capsule.
There are hydrogen peroxide RCS thrusters for New Glenn first stage.
The last mile tug has its hypergolic main thruster and RCS thrusters.
Hydrolox RCS thrusters for Blue Moon/tug.
There's a lot here and a lot of unknowns. For instance one of the Clipper designs uses an aerospike engine (similar to what Stokes have got going on); would this have an official designation?
Probably have designs for a FRSC hydrolox upper stage engine. BE-3U open expander cycle caps out at like ~450s isp. And generically Blue aims for mid performing, so probably 440s.
Advanced Development Programs
There's a lot in here. This department is definitely the most guilty for having random engineers go up to Bezos on the days he went in; say here's a cool idea, give me authorization, and it would be. There’s a lot more teams here than I know about. It is what it is.
“Advanced Development Programs, is developing lunar landers (Blue Moon), a commercial space station (Orbital Reef), and dozens of undisclosed in-space programs for reusable space transportation, space mobility, space destinations, lunar permanence, space robotics, and space technologies, all of which are scheduled to fly in this decade.”
“Today we build a half dozen engine product lines, operate a fleet of sub-orbital space tourism rockets (New Shepard), and are completing qualification of a heavy-lift launch vehicle (New Glenn).”
Advanced Development Programs, Formulation and Program Directors
“Blue Origin seeks industry’s most experienced and ingenious leaders to shape, drive, and execute revolutionary in-space programs.
- We are fast-paced: all of these vehicles and systems will fly within 3-8 years, and they will change history.
- We are hardware-focused: rate-production manufacturing will drive system design.
- We are independent: most of our in-space programs are self-funded.
We have a dozen major programs in:
- Reusable In-Space Transportation and Space Mobility, including advanced thermal protection, aerocapture and aero-entry, deep cryogenic storage, propellant transfer, large cargo and passenger capacity, and operational reusability both ground-based and space-based.
- Space Destinations, including large-scale and habitable systems for a wide range of mission durations and passenger capacity in Earth orbit, cislunar space, and on the lunar surface.
- Lunar Permanence, including surface power, mobility, base construction and operations, and resource production and use.” “worked to mature Blue Origin’s overall lunar exploration program concept, called Lunar Permanence (including naming of the concept)”
Most of the advanced programs listed above fall under this curtain, but there’s tech dev here as well.
ISRU for both hydrolox and also alloys, photovoltaic cells, building materials or solar reflectors. Blue Origin dude talked about silicon solar cells and aluminium wires. Have received various NASA contracts in this regard.
Zero boil off hydrolox storage. Probably are also working on depots.
Blue Origin is also involved in the Collins team for xEVAs.
As a result of their work on the above, they’ve also been involved in 2 separate NTP studies, where they’re focussing on the spacecraft/propellant storage side of things. Though they are looking at it a bit more broadly.
“As part of Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space, we are engaging with US government agencies and commercial entities to examine nuclear power and propulsion solutions. This includes current engagements on DOD and NASA efforts.”
Lunar Permanence project
“In order to support our commitment to building a future where millions of people live and work in space to benefit Earth, we must return to the Moon permanently, and the Blue Moon Lander enables this goal.”
You will join a small, passionate, and accomplished team of experts. You will lead the definition and design of software applications for advanced Lunar robotic and autonomous mobility systems. You will guide the team using your experience in developing application software and the Robot Operating System (ROS) framework, and extensive experience programming mobile robotics applications including perception, localization, mapping, path planning, and obstacle avoidance.
Envision and implement Blue Origin’s lunar surface mobility software solutions
Be the lead in the development, test, verification and validation of the space-qualifiable application software for lunar mobility systems
Support the definition of Blue Origin’s space robotics roadmap and vision
Maintain understanding of space robotics trends, particular lunar surface robotics
Tech stuff like
“As part of a hardworking team of diverse engineers within the Advanced Development Programs business unit, you will be focused on the rapid design and implementation of novel turbine and compressor hardware for in situ resource utilization and future spaceflight systems. Your domain expertise will be utilized for all aspects of designing, building, and testing turbine and compressor hardware for use in reverse Brayton cycle cryocoolers and power systems.”
List of Business Units
New Glenn
Engines
Lunar
Lunar transportation
Space Systems Development
Employee Tracking
2000 people hired in Florida
- Have spent $1.8B in the state