BLUE ORIGIN, LLC
KENT, WA

Driven by our company motto, system in an uncrewed configuration, leading up to the day when we are ready for astronauts to climb on board for launch. Each window is made of multiple layers of fracture-tough transparencies, designed to provide crystal clarity of the incredible views before you. Minimizing distortion and reflection, the windows transmit 92% of visible light – as good as glass. The crew capsule descends under parachutes for a smooth landing, in the same way as the earliest space pioneers. Three independent parachutes provide redundancy, while a retro-thrust system further cushions your landing. As the rocket reenters the atmosphere, air flows through a ring at the top of the booster, passively moving the center of pressure to help control descent. Four wedge-shaped fins also deploy to further enhance aerodynamic stability. Fins near the base of the booster pivot to stabilize the vehicle during ascent and steer it back to the landing pad on descent. Hydraulic actuators provide enough force to drive these fins through airspeeds up to escape system is built around a solid rocket motor that provides 70,000 lbs. of thrust in a two-second burn, so the capsule can quickly move away from any hazard. OUR SPACEFLIGHT EXPERIENCE OFFERS ASPIRING ASTRONAUTS A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP HUMANITY GET THERE Following a thrilling launch, you’ll soar over 100 km above Earth – beyond the internationally recognized edge of space. You’ll help extend the legacy of space explorers who have come before you, while pioneering access to the space frontier Unique aerodynamic control surfaces provide maximum lift and cross range for controlled first stage reentry and landings. lifts off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral. Following stage separation, the first stage flies back to Earth and lands on a moving ship 650 km (350 nmi) downrange. The second stage engine ignites and the 7-meter fairing separates. The mission is complete when the satellite is delivered safely to orbit. ​Blue Origin is constructing a state-of-the-art facility to build, integrate and launch The BE-3: Making History The BE-3 is the first new liquid hydrogen-fueled rocket engine to be developed for production in America in over a decade. The BE-3 is the first new liquid hydrogen-fueled rocket engine to be developed for production in America in over a decade. It’s been designed to withstand the extremely low temperatures of liquid hydrogen at -423°F and combustion temperatures nearing 6,000°F. At full throttle during launch, the BE-3 provides 110,000 lbs. of thrust (over a million horsepower). When returning to Earth, it can throttle down to 20,000 lbs. – a uniquely low throttle that enables a precise vertical landing, within mere feet of its target. Just like the Space Shuttle’s main engines, the BE-3 uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as propellants. This combination is highly efficient and clean, producing water as the byproduct of combustion without any carbon emissions. Blue Origin’s BE-4 rocket engine is the fastest way to end American dependence on the Russian-made RD-180 engine. The BE-4 is our fourth-generation liquid rocket engine, made to take us into orbital space and beyond. Using the latest design and manufacturing techniques, it’s made for both commercial and government missions. The BE-4 uses oxygen-rich staged combustion of liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas to produce 550,000 lbs. of thrust. Liquefied natural gas is commercially available, affordable, and highly efficient for spaceflight. Unlike other rocket fuels, such as kerosene, liquefied natural gas can be used to pressurize a rocket’s propellant tanks. This is called autogenous pressurization and eliminates the need for costly and complex pressurization systems, like helium. Liquefied natural gas also leaves no soot byproducts as kerosene does, simplifying engine reuse. Blue Origin’s BE-4 requires NO taxpayer dollars. The BE-4 is fully paid for by the private sector, requiring no government funding for development. United Launch Alliance (ULA) – maker of the Atlas V and Delta IV launch systems – has chosen the BE-4 to power its next generation Vulcan launch vehicle. With an uninterrupted record of more than 110 successful launches, ULA is America’s most dependable launch provider. Together, Blue Origin and ULA are funding 100% of the development of this new high-thrust American engine. The BE-4 saves taxpayers an additional $3 billion in national security launch costs over 20 years by providing higher thrust – 1.1 million lbs. versus 860,000 lbs. for the RD-180 – which enables a greater payload capability and allows for the removal of a solid rocket motor at more than $10 million per flight for comparable missions. Blue Origin has comprehensive recent experience developing booster engines and is implementing a low-risk development approach for the BE-4 engine. The BE-4 was designed from the beginning to be a moderate performing variant of the high performance oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle architecture – a conscious design choice to lower development risk while meeting performance and schedule requirements. Two BE-4 engines provide a combined total of 1.1 million lbs. of thrust, which provides a greater payload capability relative to the RD-180. The BE-4 will fly on ULA’s Vulcan launch vehicle and the Blue Origin Blue Origin’s engines are designed, developed and manufactured in the United States. They provide great control with a precisely timed start, high-power thrust for launch, deep throttling for landing, and stop and restart capabilities. Since our first, simple, single-propellant engine – the BE-1 – we’ve built and tested multiple generations for suborbital WE ARE OF BLUE ORIGIN, AND HERE IS WHERE IT BEGINS. Blue Origin’s New Shepard space vehicle successfully flew to space, reaching its planned test altitude of 329,839 feet (100.5 kilometers) before executing a historic landing back at the launch site in West Texas. Highlights from Blue Origin’s New Shepard space vehicle as it makes its first developmental test flight.