Blue Origin Reveals New Upper Stage and Engine to Boost Rocket Reach

Aerospace company Blue Origin has expanded its rocket architecture by unveiling a new third stage and a powerful booster engine. Chief executive Dave Limp introduced the hardware, which aims to push the New Glenn rocket into high-energy orbits and deep space trajectories.

The new third stage, called GS3, is designed for direct injection into geostationary orbit and Earth-escape paths. Powered by the BE-7 engine, GS3 can deliver up to 8 metric tonnes to geostationary orbit on the current rocket architecture, and up to 20 metric tonnes to trans-lunar injection on a larger variant. Blue Origin has already secured a government contract for a cis-lunar mission using this stage in 2028. The stage incorporates a large composite liquid hydrogen tank that recently passed pressure tests.

Alongside the upper stage, the company revealed Northstar, a liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas booster engine producing 715,000 pounds of thrust. Northstar joins the existing BE-4 engine line-up. The new engine relies heavily on 3D printing, featuring a reduced part count and a lower mass compared to its predecessor, allowing assembly in under a day.

These additions give the New Glenn rocket family a wider range of mission profiles beyond standard low Earth orbit flights. While the company still needs to transition these developments into operational flight hardware, the new components set the stage for upcoming deep-space and national security missions.