The teaser for the fourth-generation rocket engine BE-4 is out. Images of the first full-scale BE-4 rocket engine assembled by private manufacturer Blue Origin have been tweeted by CEO Jeff Bezos. The main engine has been in the making for many years.
In the tweet, Bezos said the first engine has been assembled and two more full-fledged BE-4s are getting ready.
1st BE-4 engine fully assembled. 2nd and 3rd following close behind. #GradatimFerociter pic.twitter.com/duE4Tnzvkx
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) March 6, 2017
Here’s one more shot of BE-4 in its transport cradle. pic.twitter.com/T2HdZ3UtQZ — Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) March 6, 2017
The BE-4 engines are proposed to be used in Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket which will shuttle humans to the moon and back to Earth.
According to the company website, BE-4 will end America's dependence on the Russian RD-180 engine for satellite launches and it is unique in being fully funded by the private sector.
Highlights Of New Glenn
New Glenn has some similarities with Blue Origin's New Shepard. One is the reusable nature of the vehicle New Glenn, similar to the Falcon 9 vehicle of SpaceX.
The difference with New Shepard is that New Glenn can take heavy payloads and passengers into the orbit around Earth thanks to its high speed.
New Glenn as a heavy-lift orbital rocket is expected to be a leviathan among all rockets in two sizes — one at 270 feet, and the other at 313 feet.
New Glenn will also come in two versions: one with a single upper stage, the top part of the vehicle that cuts off from the rest of the rocket during launch and inducts the payload into orbit.
New Glenn's second stage will have just one BE-4 engine, and the version with two upper stages will have its second stage powered by a BE-4 while the third stage on top will be powered by a BE-3.
Catch the New Glenn in action in Blue Origin's intro video below!
Vulcan Rocket To Use BE-4
The use of BE-4 engine will not be confined to New Glenn rocket, as another user will be the United Launch Alliance for its Vulcan rocket coming up as a successor to the Atlas V rocket.
Faced with criticism for using Russian-made RD-180 engines for the launch of military satellites, ULA opted to build a new rocket that will use the fourth-generation engine.
The Congress has passed a bill banning the use of Russian rocket engines in the launch of U.S. military satellites after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2014.
High Competition Ahead
The advent of New Glenn would heat up the market of commercial and military satellite launches where players like SpaceX, Europe's Arianespace and ULA are eyeing vast market shares.
The strategy of Bezos involves creating a bunch of reusable rockets for suborbital space trips and then moving to advanced phases like pushing a spacecraft into Earth's orbit as well as sending manned and robotic missions to the moon and other planets.
New Glenn is trying to join a new club of boosters including NASA's deep-space booster SLS and capsule, while Falcon Heavy of SpaceX will be another powerful contender as a super potent operational rocket.
NASA is planning the SLS maiden flight in 2018 and a manned Orion capsule as an integrated flight.
Blue Origin's next-generation rocket on the works — New Armstrong — will be cherishing the memory of the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong. It is meant for deep space travel into the solar system.
While taking advantage of the public-private partnerships in manned exploration as mooted by President Donald Trump's administration, Bezos is targeting the creation of reusable technology to cut transportation costs in line with his vision of "millions of people living and working in space."
