Blue Origin\u2019s heavy-lift New Glenn rocket is just a few milestones from its maiden launch. Earlier this month the 98-meter-tall, seven-meter-wide launch vehicle was rolled out to the launch pad at the company\u2019s Launch Complex 36 (LC-36) ahead of hot fire testing. This test should be the final major event before the rocket is ready for flight.<\/p>\n
Over the last few months, Blue Origin has assembled all the necessary hardware for the debut fight at LC-36. The second stage, Glenn Stage 2 (GS2), was rolled from the company\u2019s factory just outside the gates of Kennedy Space Center to LC-36 in early August. The first stage, referred to as Glenn Stage 1 (GS1) and playfully named So You\u2019re Telling Me There\u2019s A Chance<\/i>, took its long trip to the launch site at the end of October.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Following arrival at the launch complex, GS2 went through a series of tests that culminated in a hot fire on the launch mount. To make this happen Blue constructed a mobile test stand specifically designed for GS2, allowing the stages to be tested on New Glenn\u2019s launch pad and save the construction of a dedicated test facility for second stages. This stand is effectively a smaller Transporter Erector (TE) that features two cutouts at the bottom to allow the stage\u2019s twin BE-3U engines, minus their vacuum nozzle extensions, to ignite and fire for as long as needed.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n