New Glenn is Blue Origin’s large orbital rocket project designed for heavy-lift missions.
Named after astronaut John Glenn, the rocket is intended to use a reusable first stage and launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Its design is much larger than New Shepard, Blue Origin’s suborbital vehicle for research and passenger flights.
New Glenn is planned as a two-stage rocket, with a reusable first stage powered by BE-4 engines and an expendable upper stage. The BE-4 engine also powers United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur first stage.
New Glenn is often mixed up with New Shepard because both names begin with “New” and honor astronauts. New Shepard is suborbital, while New Glenn is intended for orbital payloads and missions beyond low Earth orbit.