Blue Origin, the house exploration firm based by Jeff Bezos, makes use of the BE-4 in its spacecraft, an oxygen-rich, liquefied pure fuel (LNG) staged combustion engine that is capable of produce 2,400 kilonewtons of elevate at sea degree. Unlike different rocket engines, which frequently make the most of a extremely refined model of kerosene known as Rocket Propellant-1 or Refined Petroleum-1 (RP-1), Blue Origin opted for LNG for its cleaner combustion traits.
The Blue Origin BE-4 is used because the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan rocket’s predominant engine and in addition powers New Glenn’s reusable booster. The ULA’s Vulcan Centaur launched its first flight on January 8, 2024, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and two BE-4 engines helped launch the rocket into house with almost two million kilos of thrust. Though points with the moon lander prevented it from making contact with the lunar floor, it proved the power of the BE-4 on a contemporary rocket.
The BE-4 additionally powers the booster for Blue Origin’s New Glenn heavy-lift rocket. New Glenn stands 322 ft tall and might haul 50 tons of fabric into Earth’s low orbit. The rocket can be powered by seven BE-4 engines to supply the extra thrust required for the heavier rocket. The scheduled launch for the New Glenn is presently August 2024.
