Following the flawless second test flight of its massive new rocket, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has unveiled plans for an even bigger version of its launch vehicle. The redesigned New Glenn will surpass the legendary Saturn V in height and rival SpaceX’s Starship in scale.
This upgraded, super-heavy New Glenn will be equipped with nine engines on its booster and four on its upper stage, compared to the current model’s seven and two. Blue Origin states that both versions will remain operational, now naming them New Glenn 9×4 and New Glenn 7×2, respectively.
With this increased engine count, the New Glenn booster will deliver greater thrust and be capable of sending “over 70 metric tons to low-Earth orbit,” which is just under the current theoretical maximum of 100 metric tons for Starship. SpaceX, meanwhile, is developing future Starship versions that could potentially double that payload.
The enlarged New Glenn will also sport a significantly bigger fairing—the protective cover for the rocket’s cargo—enabling it to transport larger payloads. This expanded capacity positions Blue Origin to pursue missions involving “mega-constellations, lunar and deep space exploration, and national security priorities like Golden Dome.”
Blue Origin is actively vying with SpaceX to support NASA’s lunar missions, and the company highlighted this capability in the new rendering of the New Glenn 9×4 released on Thursday.
The artwork depicts a ground-level perspective of the powerful new rocket moments after launch, with the moon looming prominently above it.
The 7×2 New Glenn variant also received some enhancements on Thursday. Its overall thrust has been boosted, and it now includes reusable fairings. Blue Origin also introduced other minor improvements aimed at shortening the turnaround time between launches.
A specific date for the next launch has not been announced, but it is tentatively scheduled for early 2026. CEO Dave Limp indicated that Blue Origin could soon attempt to launch and land its uncrewed Blue Moon Mark 1 lunar lander on the moon.
