Blue Origin unveils 122-meter New Glenn rocket and new third stage

Blue Origin has officially announced the development of a new third stage designated GS3 for its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket. According to the company, this new design will significantly expand the carrier's capabilities, enabling satellite constellations to be deployed directly into geostationary orbit, as well as executing heavy scientific and exploratory missions to the Moon and deep space.

• Development of the GS3 third stage for direct geostationary orbit satellite deployment was announced.
• A super-heavy New Glenn 9x4 configuration standing 122 meters tall with nine BE-4 and four BE-3U engines was introduced.
• Payload capacity for the 9x4 modification reaches up to 70 tons to low Earth orbit.
• Flight resumptions following previous accidents and infrastructure repairs are expected in January 2027.

Rocket Configurations and Technical Specifications The standard 7x2 version of the New Glenn rocket stands 98 meters tall, featuring seven BE-4 engines on the first stage and two BE-3U engines on the second stage. This model is capable of delivering up to 45 tons of payload to low Earth orbit and 13 tons to a geostationary transfer orbit. These figures place the vehicle among the most capable heavy launchers currently in development. In addition to the standard version, Blue Origin is designing a super-heavy New Glenn variant designated as 9x4. It will feature nine BE-4 engines on the first stage and four BE-3U engines on the second stage, pushing the rocket's height to approximately 122 meters. The payload capacity of this modification will reach up to 70 tons to low Earth orbit and 14 tons to geostationary transfer orbit.

Launch History and Accidental Setbacks To date, the New Glenn rocket has completed three flights in its 7x2 configuration: in January and November 2025, and on April 19, 2026. During the final flight, the BlueBird 7 communications satellite belonging to AST SpaceMobile was placed into the wrong orbit and ultimately lost. Further complications arose on May 28, 2026, when the rocket exploded on its launch pad during scheduled engine static-fire testing at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Blue Origin has been actively repairing the damaged ground infrastructure and preparing the launch vehicle for its next mission.

Program Outlook and Upcoming Flight Plans Currently, Blue Origin is focused on restoring the launch complex infrastructure and preparing the rocket for its fourth flight. The upcoming launch is anticipated in January 2027. Successfully executing this flight will be critical for verifying safety parameters and restoring momentum to the heavy-lift program.