Tag: BE-4
-
Blue Origin’s orbital rocket in the running to receive U.S. military investment
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated April 14 with correction on West Coast launch site and BE-4 investment details. Artist’s concept of the two-stage version of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket. Credit: Blue Origin Blue Origin submitted a proposal late last year in what’s expected to be a four-way competition for U.S. Air Force funding to support development…
-
Blue Origin ramping up BE-4 engine testing
One of the flagship engines that will play a heavy role in the next phase of commercial launches is continuing to enjoy a smooth test series during hot fire testing. The BE-4 engine conducted another test in recent days at Blue Origin’s West Texas Test Facility, as preparations continue for its use on the company’s…
-
World’s largest methane-fueled rocket engine test-fired by Blue Origin
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT) with ULA statement. First hotfire of our BE-4 engine is a success #GradatimFerociter pic.twitter.com/xuotdzfDjF — Blue Origin (@blueorigin) October 19, 2017 Blue Origin has conducted the first hotfire test of its BE-4 rocket engine in West Texas, a powerplant fueled by liquified natural gas and liquid oxygen…
-
Blue Origin encounters setback in BE-4 engine testing
An image of a BE-4 powerpack on a test stand in West Texas. Credit: Blue Origin Blue Origin said Sunday that it lost a set of powerpack hardware for its BE-4 engine during a ground test mishap, dealing at least a minor setback to the development of a powerful U.S.-made propulsion system that United Launch…
-
Blue Origin encounters setback in BE-4 engine testing
An image of a BE-4 powerpack on a test stand in West Texas. Credit: Blue Origin Blue Origin said Sunday that it lost a set of powerpack hardware for its BE-4 engine during a ground test mishap, dealing at least a minor setback to the development of a powerful U.S.-made propulsion system that United Launch…
-
ULA chief says Blue Origin in driver’s seat for Vulcan engine deal
The first fully-assembled BE-4 engine. Credit: Blue Origin A full-scale BE-4 engine developed by Blue Origin, the space company founded by Amazon.com’s Jeff Bezos, is installed on a test stand in West Texas for a series of hotfire tests that United Launch Alliance will closely examine before settling on the reusable methane-fueled engine for its…
-
Blue Origin details new rocket’s capabilities, signs first orbital customer
Updated March 9 with OneWeb agreement. Artist’s concept of the New Glenn rocket. Credit: Blue Origin Amazon.com’s Jeff Bezos revealed new details of his space company’s reusable orbital-class booster Tuesday, releasing an animation illustrating the rocket’s liftoff from Cape Canaveral and announcing a contract with Eutelsat to put a commercial communications satellite on one of…
-
Bezos reveals design of powerful orbital-class launcher
Credit: Blue Origin Tech pioneer and entrepreneur Jeff Bezos said this week his growing launch company, Blue Origin, plans to debut a 30-story satellite booster built and launched from Florida by the end of the decade. In an update emailed to media and Blue Origin followers Monday, Bezos wrote that the launcher is a “very…
-
ULA’s candidates to replace RD-180 engine win Air Force funding
File photo of a hotfire test using components of Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine. Credit: Blue Origin The Pentagon has awarded at least $162 million in contracts to Aerojet Rocketdyne and United Launch Alliance for development work on the AR1 and BE-4 rocket engines, candidates to power the first stage of a next-generation rocket and replace…
-
ULA selects launch pads for new Vulcan rocket
ULA chief executive Tory Bruno tweeted this image illustrating the Vulcan rocket’s evolution from the Atlas rocket family. The Vulcan will use the Atlas 5’s current launch pads in Florida and California, according to a senior ULA official. Credit: ULA United Launch Alliance’s next-generation Vulcan rocket will lift off from the company’s existing Atlas 5…