New Glenn’s second stage aces hotfire test for first flight

Blue Origin has completed a hotfire test for New Glenn’s second stage to prepare for its upcoming flight 1 no earlier than November. The risk reduction test was conducted from Launch Complex 36 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The hotfire ignition stayed for 15 seconds and was the first time Blue Origin operated New Glenn as an integrated system. It enables the rocket maker to validate interactions between the subsystems on the second stage featuring two BE-3U engines and the ground control systems.

Not limited to, the company also validated three key systems:

• Tank Pressurization control system – It uses helium to pressurize the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks during flight
• Thurst Vector control system – It gimbals the engines and steers the rocket during flight
• Start-up and shut-down sequence system – It allows the BE-3U engine to restart up to three times during a mission.

Furthermore, New Glenn’s launch team has practiced flight operations to operate launch day procedures on the console and verify the timing for some important operations.

New Glenn is a two-stage rocket, the first stage is a reusable booster, which could be recovered through a vertical landing. The second stage is designed to carry the mission after hot-staging and leads it to low, medium, and geosynchronous Earth orbit.

The second stage is 88 feet (26.8 meters) tall with a diameter of 23 feet (7 meters). Its BE-3U engine is designed to provide balanced thrust, specific impulse, and cost management. Each of these engines can boost more than 170,000 lbf of vacuum thrust.

With both stages, New Glenn measures 320 feet (98 meters) in height and uses BE-4 engines to liftoff the rocket with the first stage. The first mission for New Glenn is planned for November and it will carry Blue Ring technology as its initial payload.

Check the video demonstration of New Glenn’s second-stage hotfire test below.

(Source)