World’s Slowest Rocket Company Suddenly Wants to Churn Out 60 Rockets a Year
Blue Origin aims to dramatically increase production of its New Glenn rocket's upper stage, targeting 60 units per year by 2028 and 100 by 2029. The company plans to operate both current and upgraded versions of the rocket, with the latter featuring more engines for deep space missions. However, technical setbacks and a recent launch failure have raised questions about the feasibility of these ambitious goals.
- ▪Blue Origin plans to increase production of New Glenn's upper stage from 12 to 60 units per year by the third quarter of 2028.
- ▪The upgraded Quattro upper stage will feature four BE-3U engines, and the first stage will eventually use nine engines instead of seven.
- ▪New Glenn has flown three times since its debut in January 2025, but its third mission in April 2025 failed to reach the intended orbit.
- ▪The FAA grounded New Glenn following a malfunction during the April 2025 launch carrying AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite.
- ▪NASA removed its Mars ESCAPADE mission from New Glenn’s first flight due to repeated delays, though the probes eventually launched on the rocket’s second flight.
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Blue Origin apparently has big plans for its heavy-lift launch vehicle, hoping to significantly ramp up its production rate within the next few years. The plans were revealed in a job opening posted on the company’s website, detailing the responsibilities of a prospective senior manager to oversee the production of New Glenn’s upper stage, Ars Technica reported. The job posting includes a rather ambitious timeline of increasing production from the current rate of 12 second stages per year to 60 by the third quarter of 2028.
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