Blue Origin
Blue Origin tests New Glenn’s first stage landing legs
Blue Origin has tested New Glenn’s first stage landing legs which will be used after the first stage separates during hot-staging and returns to the landing zone.
A video posted on social media site X shows the deployment procedure of six landing legs in a sequence including the opening and expansion. All legs deployed in about 8 seconds. The company planned to land the rocket on a droneship in the sea similar to SpaceX.
New Glenn is preparing for a test flight later this year, prior to that, the company has been working on the design and other improvements in this rocket.
We recently completed New Glenn’s first stage test of its six landing legs—a key area for reusability, which lowers the cost of access to space. The landing gear stow inside the rocket during flight, deploying as the booster gently touches down on our landing vessel at sea. pic.twitter.com/3xUSUPDQyk
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) July 17, 2024
The entire vehicle is more than 320 ft tall including a fairing, an upper stage, BE-3U, fins, first stage, strakes, and landing gear.
The reusable first stage uses seven BE-4 engines, which use liquid oxygen and liquified natural gas to generate 550,000 lbf (2,450 kN) thrust at sea level with deep-throttle capability. The company says it’s opting for LNG due to its high performance and clean burning compared to kerosene-burning engines.
Two of the BE-4 engines are already used in Vulcan rockets by United Launch Alliance (ULA). The upper stage will use two BE-3U engines to generate 160,000 lbf (712 kN) of vacuum thrust. It will provide higher thrust and performance.