New Glenn Flight Hardware Is On The Launchpad!

In the timespan of about 24 hours, we just got more information on New Glenn and its first launch than practically the entirety of this rocket’s program. Right now New Glenn hardware is vertical on the launchpad including its booster which has been confirmed as flight hardware. This comes in addition to new info on its landing barge, maiden flight profile, plans to launch twice this year, and much more. Here I will go more in-depth into the recent rollout, all the new insights, what to expect in the coming months, and more.
Full article here - thespacebucket.com/new-glenn-...
For more space-related content check out - thespacebucket.com/
Credit:
SpaceX - / spacex
ULA - / unitedlaunchalliance
Blue Origin - / blueoriginchannel
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:27 - Vertical Flight Hardware
3:39 - More Stages In Production

[@craigman04]

Finally! It's a good looking rocket. Hope it proves worth the wait

[@Gnefitisis]

I prefer dong rockets because I got something to prove.

[@twelvecylinders6273]

i agree. looks pretty cool!

[@kennethferland5579]

@isis So you like North Korean rockets? They have many Types-o-Dong rockets.

[@Gnefitisis]

@@kennethferland5579 oh yes!

[@lyricbread]

@@craigman04Then you probably prefer New Shepherd. 😂

[@RichardShelton]

Another excellent report. No fluff, just facts. Thank you.

[@The_Isaiahnator]

Whoa, that's quicker than I thought. Blue Origin really does play with its cards close to its chest. If the first flight (and landing) proves successful, it could lend a lot of credibility to their slow-and-steady approach.

[@jamskinner]

Not really. The company is 23 years old and has yet to launch a single rocket into orbit. It’s older than spacex.

[@The_Isaiahnator]

@@jamskinner I said it's quicker than _"I"_ thought, not "you." I thought they'd drag their feet for another few years. *Edit:* And if their heavy-lift launcher works without any hitches, it would show the inherent strength of this approach. However, I also realize its inherent weakness is in how long it takes to finalize a launch vehicle.

[@DroolP]

If Blue Origin launches, gets to orbit, deploys payload, and booster lands, jamskinner has to donate 1000 hours to candy-stripe a children’s cancer ward. If it doesn’t I will go and work for Space X. Oh wait.

[@luther0013]

@@jamskinner 10 years of that time was as a think tank and another 5 were spent only working on rocket engines to sell to other companies.

[@MichaelWinter-ss6lx]

@luther0013; of which they have provided 2 until now. A 3rd engine, which was actually the 2nd, blew up on final testing. At this pace, the company will not last for a very long time. The NASA way of doing rockets is finished. Due to their arroganz, they refused to learn as much as possible while they had the chance to. Now BO still have the chance to catch up, but it does look a bit funny after 23 years.

[@donaldtrammel2475]

Thanks for the update, exciting times!

[@trucksanddirt1506]

Go BO, your future is bright!!

[@sp00l]

Imagine is New Glen gets to orbit before Starship. No on would have seen that coming in a million years.

[@MrAlbertaSurfer]

You sure? New Glenn was supposed to fly in 2020. It was already supposed to be in orbit before Starship. It would seem that Blue Origin themselves saw that coming... I have no doubts this rocket will make it into orbit in its first launch, but it's been in development for 12 years, it's nothing new.

[@mathewferstl7042]

Starship was supposed to be landing on mars uncrewed in 2022, spacex tinelines are even more bs​@MrAlbertaSurfer

[@tepidtuna7450]

New Glenn is a Falcon-class rocket, not Starship-Super Heavy class. SpaceX is still about 10 years ahead.

[@mikedicenso2778]

@@tepidtuna7450 New Glenn is a Falcon Heavy-class rocket with just a single stick configuration, not a regular Falcon 9. Both NG and FH are on the lower end of super heavy capability while a fully expendable F9 is a heavy lift rocket as is Vulcan Centaur and Delta Heavy.

[@sp00l]

@@tepidtuna7450 While true in some regards, the payload bay diamatier is actually pretty important here. Falcon Heavy only has 5.2m diam while New Glen is 7m. Its not quite 8m like the Starship but its more than just a Falcon Heavy Compeititor.

[@sandbridgekid4121]

Professionals dont shitpost on social media about their competitors rockets. Perpetual middle-schoolers do...

[@jamskinner]

Who did?

[@barrettdesigns]

"Professionals" sue when they fail to win competitive contracts 😂

[@Hoopaball]

Reminds me of the full size magazine ads ULA used to put out comparing Falcon 9 to a press microphone rather than a rocket. Tory really screwed that one up.

[@sandbridgekid4121]

@@barrettdesigns They all do, even SpaceX.

[@BeKindToBirds]

​@@barrettdesigns That contract was absolutely corrupt. Obviously you are a PR account

[@databaseerror-223]

I just wanna say I only discovered your channel yesterday and Im loving it. Short, precise, neutral information, presented in a nonsensational manner, I couldnt wish for anything more.

[@TechDude452]

awesome video! Go blue!

[@VicariousAdventurer]

Light that candle!

[@FishyAltFishy]

definitely high up on the cool tier list

[@kevinim300]

flashy but more experience with the whole flip booster return thing may be required...

[@davidstevenson9517]

So New Shephard is also a test-bed (3:15) for New Glenn landing systems; which seems to have proven themslves. A successful landing after the first launch may not be so over-optimistic. Looking forward to seeing more reports on that landing barge, TheSpaceBucket.

[@Hoopaball]

This is the most amazing update for the program since New Glenn was announced. I hope any potential acquisition of ULA doesn't add to the amazing amount of work yet to be done. This is a very good sign that BO may actually achieve orbit for the first time ever. Another thing they forgot to mention was which satellite data network BO will hire to communicate with their barge. If their two project kuiper satellites, launched by ULA, had any capacity other than serving as an FCC bandwidth placeholder, I'm sure we would have heard all about it.

[@STS-Dreamer]

god she’s a beaut

[@kennethferland5579]

Wow that is a lot of info. This is all the most aggresive end of what people had been speculating. If successful, and their is every reason to think they will be then BO will arguably be ahead of SpaceX in the race to the moon. As they will have validated their launch vehicle first AND will have a sufficient stockpile of stages to perform all nessary launchers for an Artemis mission (I belive BO plans need 3 for their initial mission, and 2 for subsiquent ones) without dependence on recovery or refurbishment of any booster. That basically eliminates all risks other then a pad destroying explosion in the launch campaign, where as SpaceX has to launch ~dozen times in succession, which almost certainly means booster reuse is critical to complete an Artemis mission for them.

[@Papershields001]

I find it very interesting that blue origin released a depiction of New Glenn launching over a desert salt flat. If the safety and reliability of these vehicles continues to be demonstrated it’s possible to imagine eastbound launches over land in the US. For instance booster launch in Mojave and land on federal land in Navada

[@jamskinner]

Doubt it. People don’t like rockets landing on their houses like in China.

[@jamskinner]

Plus salt flats are in Utah not Nevada.

[@Papershields001]

@@jamskinner forgive me for confusing the geography of the big square ones that are safe to drop rockets on.

[@kennethferland5579]

Why bother though? Thats farther north then the cape and would be inferior for an eastbound trajectory. Maybe certain northbound polar orbital trajectories could benifit but I dont see the need when their is still plenty of capacity in the cape and the benifit of centralizing work in one location. Also overland movement of the landed booster would be far slower then over water.

[@Papershields001]

@@kennethferland5579 well I can tell you from a friend of mine at the FAA’s head office that all the airspace closures over falcon 9 launches are already a massive disruption of air travel in the US. Now blue is aiming to essentially double that, not to mention if and when rocketlab starts shutting down the flight path from Miami to New York once a week when Neutron comes online. There’s in fact a lot of good reason to launch eastbound over the desert, especially if the boosters rtls.

[@MichaelWinter-ss6lx]

This rocket is a little bigger than a Falcon9 rocket. Landing it on a drone ship will be very interresting. Next year is starting point for the new commercial space stations. Thats where we need heavy lifting rockets. 🚀🏴‍☠️🎸

[@jamskinner]

Who needs engines to test a rocket. I guess it takes a long time to build and test BE4.

[@FishyAltFishy]

Yay

[@av_kovko]

Blue Orgin will receive a license to launch New Glenn from FAA, no earlier than April IMHO.

[@_mikolaj_]

2 things 1) its Cape launch, it doesnt need FAA approval, instead it needs eastern range permission 2) it will be longer than that because first launch is sending a payload to mars, and mars window doesnt open till like, i dont remember correctly but i think it was somewhere around summer

[@veryunusual126]

Seeing this rocket fully stacked up like this makes me so happy, finally!!! I can't wait for the first launch✨✨🚀🚀🇺🇸🚀🇺🇸🚀🇺🇸🚀🇺🇸🚀🇺🇸🚀🇺🇸🚀🇺🇸🚀

[@cube2fox]

Ars Technica claims Blue Origin will buy ULA. If this is true, Blue Origin will operate both New Glenn and Vulcan. I'm not sure what they want with two rockets.

[@patricklewis7636]

Those two rockets do vastly different things. Vulcan is like a sports car while New Glenn is like a Big Rig. The New Glenn system overall is actually more like a train - it goes to LEO only but delivers a big payload. Yes, you can get a NG to deliver something to Lunar transfer, but you either need to fill the payload with gas (dangerous) or sacrifice the booster, which goes against the whole point of the thing. Until there is fueling in LEO, these big, reusable rockets won't reach more than what is usefully deployed in LEO. Stuff that requires other orbits are still better off on re-usables.

[@classydave75]

By that logic, SpaceX should retire F9 and FH when, if, Starship comes online. Pretty sure it won't happen, they'll keep the three rockets. Or maybe just retire FH...

[@patricklewis7636]

@@classydave75 Well, maybe. We know F9 can't carry the bigger Starlink sats, so they will definitely pare back on those flights. But the capability of FH is more in line with Vulcan if you expend the center. But we all know that they are going to do whatever makes them the most money. :)

[@mikedicenso2778]

@@patricklewis7636 No, New Glenn was designed from the beginning to not only take payloads to LEO, but also 13.6 metric tons to GTO and still recover the first stage over 600 nautical miles downrange.

[@classydave75]

​@@patricklewis7636 Yeah, I forgot about the similarity between FH and Vulcan... They may very well keep all the rockets to just slightly undercut their competitors on every "payload range" and more specific orbital targets. I guess...

[@ygursivad9921]

I will wait to see it

[@finroddd]

It will be huge win for Blue Origin if New Glen goes to orbit prior to Star Ship.

[@trucksanddirt1506]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 Starship may reach orbit, but will never leave orbit.

[@thorin1045]

almost sure, as the third attempt for starship will still be a suborbital attempt, the fourth probably will not happen before new glenn launch, and that one has way better odds to do more in one attempt than starship in this year.

[@finroddd]

@@thorin1045 Agree, Oakenshield!

[@sandbridgekid4121]

​@thorin1045 Test the f@#k out of everything, launch, succeed, then interate. There's plenty of payloads to go around, many not yet dreamed of, Glenn will have several Orbital missions before Starship. They aren't competitors as each has different mission at this time. BO is likely using New Shepard and Glenn programs to prepare for developing a heavy or super-heavy rocket, New Aldrin (or Armstrong, but family is publicity shy).

[@robrobinette]

New Glen competes with Falcon 9, not Starship. So it's a little late to the party.

[@selectthedead]

It might fly, but I highly doubt they will stick the landing.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

Blue Origin has one advantage that Space X did not have in landing the booster for the first time. Space X needed 4 tries to land the Falcon 9 before being successful in the fifth try. Blue Origin has experience of landing New Shepard which is of course a much smaller rocket, but the principle is the same or at least similar.

[@MrAlbertaSurfer]

@@michaeldeierhoi4096 by that reasoning, Starship will stick the landing first try too. I highly doubt that. There's a big difference between landing a rocket that's flight path is straight up, and landing a rocket on a drone ship in the ocean after being in orbit. Landing New Glenn will be nothing like landing New Shepard, just like landing Starship will be nothing like landing Falcon 9. Good luck to Blue Origin, but I highly doubt they land first try.

[@classydave75]

@@MrAlbertaSurfer Whether it comes back from a more conservative suborbital flight or a full fledged suborbital stage sep., I would think the experience and guidance systems gained and developed with New Shepard are scaleable to New Glenn. Landing Starship is nothing like landing Falcon 9 because Starship requires a belly flop, which add an obvious difficulty to the ordeal...

[@kennethferland5579]

The factor these commentors are neglecting is throttle depth. The Merlin can only throttle 50% so F9 booster can not go below 1/18th (5.5%) while BE-4 can drop to 20% which means the booster is throttling to 1/35th (2.85%) which is basically low enough to hover. Thus the NG dose not need to do the 'suicide burn' which perfectly gets the vehicle to zero velocity at zero altitude. That turns landing from a single chance death defying stunt into an easy computer feedback loop task. Everything prior to the terminal landing itself is easy, the thermal and shock forces of entry into the lower atmosphere are just a matter of mechanical enginering for a known load, likewise steering in the upper atmosphere is easy so long as you have any functional control surfaces. SpaceX had basically no problem getting the booster to splashdown in the ocean where they wanted it to once they installed controls. Theirs basically no reason to think Blue Origin can't stick the first landing when all the circumstances actually make is much easier for them.

[@classydave75]

​@@kennethferland5579 I forgot about the throttle range of the BE-4 engines... That's a big plus indeed. What about the Raptor? I don't even know if there is any precise data on its throttling capabilities...

[@bd5av8r1]

Whats with all the secrecy? After Musk and SpaceX Seeing engines and rocket parts is something we are used to. :)

[@MoriartySan]

If the words of famous poet LL Cool J "Don't call it a comeback, I been here for years I'm rockin' my peers, puttin' suckers in fear Makin' the tears rain down like a monsoon Listen to the bass go boom Explosions, overpowerin' Over the competition, I'm towerin'"

[@FandersonUfo]

Spring 2025 - maybe

[@dissaid]

😎😎😎

[@CoDB02]

They have to try and land first try because they’re trying to compete with an even more capable and ambitious starship which is fully reusable and might be able to be caught by a tower instead of landing.

[@CoDB02]

Oh and Elon musk said that spacex has a roadmap to 200 ton payload to orbit which blue origin has no roadmap to considering they aren’t using the same manufacturing methods as spacex and interactive designs. Along with spacex using stainless steel skin which can be modified easily in thickness and other hardware on the boosters which can be modified easier than blue origin can do with New Glenn. Blue origin is playing it safer than spacex.

[@Cooky00123]

Is this going to be a fully reusable rocket, or just more of the same?

[@yaxleader]

It says in the video: first stage is planned to be re-usable from the start with plans in development to make the second stage re-usable

[@goyogo2601]

Are they are banking on successfully landing the 1st booster to support the 2nd launch? Just feel like any failure, which is certainly possible, could take them significant time to recover from. Just not sure they are producing enough boosters / engines to easily recover from Rapid Unexpected Disassembly.

[@snakevenom4954]

That is a big issue. They are leaning hard into reusability. However, there's still a good chance of a RUD regardless. So they may still lose 1 or 2 boosters before landing which could be a massive pain to replace. Especially since they just aren't producing many engines. They are almost relying on New Glenn working perfectly from the start which sucks.

[@BeKindToBirds]

Their maiden flight is going to carry satellites to Mars. Don't expect anything like SpaceX "quality" out of actual rocket companies. Musk burning other people's money to create an investment lure is not at all resembling the necessary competency that space requires. It is telling that their best rocket is the one they have the least to do with and even then it hasn't promised it's fundamental change, it isn't even meeting the same standards or reusability of the much MUCH more complex shuttle. That is extremely sad given the technology available. The musk bubble is going to pop and if you have money in spacex you would be wise to get out soon.

[@jimabbey9544]

"A test article" That is as far it will go! Look how long it got them to get the Be4 engine delivered to ULA?

[@luther0013]

The 1st stage is flight hardware.

[@Hoopaball]

"it will become flight hardware at some point later.. " They're testing GSE, not redesigning the booster.

[@iamjwns6277]

ULA have now received engines for Vulcans 2nd flight and 7 BE-4’s for New Glenn’s first flight have already been produced. Their engine production is much further along

[@Demontoastslayer]

I doubt it will go well

[@yolamontalvan9502]

I’m interested as long as Elon Musk is not involved. He’s a smart charlatan.

[@classydave75]

Indeed. Total charlatan and capricious billionaire hack, is also a good description. But let's be fair, only Musk and his crony management deserve the shaming, not the engineers and various people working hard under him...

[@oberonpanopticon]

Because bezos is so much better

[@classydave75]

​@@oberonpanopticon No one in his right mind should dick-ride any billionaire. But it's not difficult to be less worse than Musk.

[@alexlabs4858]

They’ve got a huge mouth, hope they can back that up with actual results. It’s a good looking rocket.

[@classydave75]

I rather say huge pockets... Good looking indeed.

[@kennethferland5579]

Wait are you actually trying to imply that Blue Origin has a bigger mouth then SpaceX? My gawd the projection on these SpaceX fanboys.

[@classydave75]

@@kennethferland5579 I think the loudness comes almost exclusively from the hack in chief, amplified by his cult... That's my armchair theory. 😄

[@alekseykrasnov7066]

When flight?

[@BeKindToBirds]

Stop talking like a toddler.

[@jamskinner]

Landing a large booster is much different then landing new shepherd.

[@Hoopaball]

New Shepard has NEVER carried a human being higher than the X-15. Ever. It's not much of a rocket if it can't even meet the performance of a 1960's airplane.

[@_mikolaj_]

​@@Hoopaballwhat the fuck is your problem? Did someone insult you when you were 7 so now you have to unload your grief by getting mad on random ass launch vehicles?

[@BeKindToBirds]

Functionally it really should not be.

[@timothycrystal2623]

Sooner than expected? I thought it was originally expected to launch in 2017

[@andrewbstevens]

New Glenn was announced in september of 2016. I don't think there was ever any expectation of a flight in 2017.

[@classydave75]

Expected in 2017? Yeah, sure. What else? The Earth is flat?

[@mikedicenso2778]

Nope, unless you possibly by some chance consider the original medium-class reusable rocket that would've launched the biconic crew capsule to ISS. They originally targeted 2019. A large low-end super heavy rocket slipping by 5 years is inline with a similar slip to the right for Falcon Heavy (2012 targeted, actual first flight 2018).

[@timothycrystal2623]

@@mikedicenso2778 Oh Right, 2019 then.... My point still stands, mid summer 2024 is soon than expected. Don't get me wrong, making rockets launch into space is really hard, and setbacks are basically standard procedure... But the author of this script should probably not state that 5 years late is sooner than expected.

[@iamjwns6277]

It was announced in 2016, starship was announced in 2012

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

"Pathfinder" vehicle, this is the one with the "Not For Flight" labels on the hardware.

[@Nowhereman10]

Several articles, including Aviation Week & Space Technology [February 21, 2024] have confirmed that the pathfinder vehicle s a mix of flight and flight-like hardware. A quote from the AvWeek article: "This time, the test vehicle will remain at the pad for several days for an integrated tanking test (ITT). *The first stage is flight hardware that will be used on a future mission.* For the ITT, the booster will be filled with liquid nitrogen, rather than the liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas, a commercial form of methane, that will power the booster’s seven BE-4 engines during launch." This is not unlike the fueling pathfinder that ULA used to verify the booster core mechanical and propellant loading at LC-41 back in 2021, which the core was flight hardware, but the BE-4 engines were non-flight development engines very similar to those used eventually for flight. Even before those articles, Blue Origin employees had said that the pathfinder was a mix of flight and flight-like hardware.

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

@@Nowhereman10 Could you re-read the title of the video, where 'Pathfinder" and "Flight Like Hardware" are not mentioned?

[@Nowhereman10]

@@PiDsPagePrototypes I'm not sure why you're attempting an evasion. Your statement said that there was "non-flight hardware" stenciling, implying all of it was non-flight. I'm merely correcting you by showing you the sources that mention the pathfinder vehicle is a mix of both.

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

@@Nowhereman10 How is it Evasion, to point out where the title is deliberately misleading. The title is implying that the ship on the pad was all 'flight', it's not, it's a pathfinder, made up of flight and clearly marked 'not for flight' hardware. But sure, you're welcome to misinterpret to your own intent and bring in a quote from another source and just ignore the misleading title of This video.

[@Nowhereman10]

@@PiDsPagePrototypes You could've said "Ah, sorry, I should've said it was a mix of both." In other words, you're doing just as bad or misleading a thing as you claim Space Bucket is doing.

[@jamskinner]

Don’t doesn’t even have motors yet. How slow can you be. I will be surprised if it even launches once this year. My guess for best case scenario is one launch at the end of the year. Normal case is 1 launch next year.

[@classydave75]

Rendez-vous at the end of 2025 to see if your crystal ball prediction comes true.

[@BeKindToBirds]

​@@classydave75Don't hold your breath for the opinions of elon musk fans to come true. They have been trained to not know what real industry looks like.

[@geoffreybeslity2010]

I suspect the New Glenn is around twice as heavy as they claim. Its volume is a little less than 1/2 of Starship's. That makes it around 2450 Tonnes. Bezos is very crafty. He doesn't tell us about the weight of the BE4, which looks about twice the size of the Raptor. He also doesn't tell us the Specific Impulse of the engines. He'll probably run this rocket at 1/2 thrust initially with its LOX/Hydrogen engine 2nd stage. Then later, he'll switch to full power and maybe call it the New Armstrong. It looks to me that Bezos will beat Musk in the long run. Musk has got himself bogged down in an oversized, over complicated, over Reusalbe'd, over hyped Starship rocket.

[@johnstewart579]

Don't expect first launch before 2025

[@akira28shima32]

After 22 years of development, perhaps BO will attempt to reach orbit.

[@WWeronko]

But those who wait on the Blue Origin Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

[@thorin1045]

starship and new glenn first mentioned in the same year. one exploded many times, the other not. the useful actions are equally zero, except one had an engine that already sent rocket to the orbit. the other so far failed to reach high suborbital.

[@stevengaming3689]

​@thorin1045 Exactly. BO haters literally have no idea that Starship is suborbital (so far). Maybe NG will get to true orbital first lol.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

@akira28shima32 Design work on New Glenn began on 2012 NOT 2002. 2002 is when the company was formed. I don't know how anyone could confuse the two?!

[@akira28shima32]

@@stevengaming3689 BO are run by old legacy space that have been fleecing taxpayers for decades!. BO bribes politicians of both parties and threaten lawsuits to get government contracts!! All of this without ever reaching orbit!! Thank God for Space X otherwise ULA will still be charging taxpayers $400 millions per launch!

[@Fatpumpumlovah2]

more like a publicity stunt if you ask me.

[@classydave75]

Your delusion isn't a stunt, that's for sure.

[@Fatpumpumlovah2]

@@classydave75 LOL an american calling someone delusional, imagine that.

[@violety_indigo52]

Which country you belong to? ​@@Fatpumpumlovah2

[@Fatpumpumlovah2]

@@violety_indigo52 caribbean ex american. Cant stand yall rainbows lol

[@classydave75]

@@Fatpumpumlovah2 "Cant stand yall rainbows lol"... Very intelligent indeed.

[@kengaroo437]

The AI presenting this is missing inflection or something. The tone is quite boring and the end of sentences cut of weirdly. The information is ok but it is hard to listen to.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

Are you a new viewer to this channel because if so that would explain your criticism. Why not give yourself a chance to get familiar with the channel before deciding whether to follow it? After all you said the info was okay so why dismiss before giving yourself chance to get used to it. Personally, I have found the narrative to be clear and articulate and it even sounds calming to me. I have noticed this with new viewers to other channels in rejecting videos after one viewing. Sometimes that is appropriate to do, but usually it isn't based on one factor.

[@rgio1885]

Huh? This isn't an AI, it's a real dude.

[@classydave75]

Information is to the point and factual, zero "fanboy-ing" for one or another. That's good.

[@kennethferland5579]

Its a human voice, but about 90% of the audio and video in any one video seems to be recyled from prior videos (How many Fing time do we need to be told that "The BE-4 is a low performace version of a high performance architecture"), so your probably just picking up on the audio being clipped too aggresivly durring editing and compositioning.

[@ckegman6103]

BS