FAA clears Blue Origin New Glenn launch license

FAA has cleared a launch license for Blue Origin New Glenn rocket to conduct its first orbital flight. This is a major milestone for this heavy launch vehicle, aiming for maximum reusability.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued this license under Part 450 commercial space launch license authorizations. It also announced that Blue Origin has completed all safety, environmental, and other licensing requirements.

“The FAA is committed to enabling the success of the U.S. commercial space transportation industry without compromising public safety,” said the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation Kelvin B. Coleman. “By working closely with Blue Origin, the FAA issued this new launch license well in advance of the statutory deadline for the historic maiden flight of New Glenn.”

For months, Blue Origin has been testing this new rocket to enable higher payload deployment capacity for customers. The company has recently assembled this rocket for the first time while waiting for launch approval.

Assembly

New Glenn is 320 ft tall and comprises two stages and different components. Here’s what you need to know about the rocket.

Blue Origin New Glenn (Source – Blue Origin)

First stage

The booster is designed with reusability and powerful engines. It has seven BE-4 engines that consume liquid oxygen/liquefied natural gas. Each BE-4 generates 550,000 lbf of thrust at liftoff, which combines a total of 3,850,000 lbf trust. This thrust is three times of the New Shepard rocket, producing only 110,000 lbf.

Similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, the first stage will cut off and head back to a landing location for a vertical landing. The company has also confirmed that the first mission will demonstrate landing on a autonomous droneship stationed in the sea.

The second stage is also using two restartable BE-3Us to lead the mission into space. Each BE-3U generates 160,000 lbf of vacuum thrust.

Launch Date

Though the FAA has not shared an estimated launch date for this big rocket but report suggests that it could fly on January 6 at the earliest but the date may vary based on preparations.