Following the success of New Glenn’s second test flight, Blue Origin announced a super-heavy version of its rocket that could compete with SpaceX’s Starship.
Jeff Bezos’ rocket company unveiled the new design for its rocket, which has been named New Glenn 9×4 due to the number of engines on the booster and upper stage. This is an increase of two engines for each stage from New Glenn’s current design, which has seven engines on the booster and two engines on the upper stage.
“The next chapter in New Glenn’s roadmap is a new super-heavy class rocket,” Blue Origin wrote in a statement. The company recently launched New Glenn for its second mission, carrying NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to Mars. Although Blue Origin did not specify when it would begin launching the larger version of New Glenn, the rocket has a busy schedule for 2026 and 2027.
on big things
Blue Origin launched its New Glenn rocket in January after years of delay. The rocket’s inaugural flight did not go so smoothly, with the company failing to recover the booster during its descent. An investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed seven corrective measures to get the rocket flying again, and its second mission was a major success for the company.
Now, Blue Origin is focusing on getting bigger. Equipped with nine engines on the booster and four engines on the upper stage, the additional thrust will allow the new New Glenn to lift more than 70 metric tons to low-Earth orbit, more than 14 metric tons to direct geosynchronous orbit and more than 20 metric tons to trans-lunar injection. This is much less than Starship’s ability to carry up to 150 metric tons to low Earth orbit, but it is still a powerful launch vehicle.
The upgraded New Glenn will also feature a larger 28.5-foot (8.7-meter) fairing to allow larger payloads. “Both vehicles: the 9×4 and our current version, the 7×2, will work together on the market, giving customers more launch options for their missions, including mega-constellations, lunar and deep space exploration, and national security imperatives like Golden Dome,” Blue Origin wrote.
Because you asked… pic.twitter.com/HRbQjRpHWC
– Dave Limp (@Devil) 20 November 2025
Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp posted an illustration of the upgraded New Glenn standing tall next to the Saturn V rocket, which was used to launch astronauts to the Moon as part of NASA’s Apollo program. The new Glen 9×4 also looks much larger than its predecessor.
The success of New Glenn’s second flight proved the rocket’s worth in the orbital launch game. With a super-heavy version of its New Glenn rocket, Blue Origin will be able to compete with SpaceX on an even larger scale.