The enhancements covering engines, structural design, avionics, reusability and recovery systems will gradually roll out from the NG-3 mission onwards.
One of the headline improvements is a significant jump in engine performance across both stages. The seven BE-4 engines on New Glenn’s first stage will see total thrust rise from 3.9 million pounds-force (17,219kN) to 4.5 million pounds-force (19,928kN).
Blue Origin said the BE-4 has already hit 625,000 pounds-force in ground testing and is expected to reach 640,000 pounds-force later this year, thanks in part to propellant subcooling that lifts the engine’s original 550,000-pound-force output.
The upper stage is getting a similar upgrade. The pair of BE-3U engines will lift from a combined 320,000 pounds-force (1,423kN) to 400,000 pounds-force (1,779kN) over the next few missions. The BE-3U has already demonstrated more than 211,000 pounds-force on the test stand.
Blue Origin said these performance boosts will immediately benefit customers already booked to fly on New Glenn, including missions to low-Earth orbit, the lunar surface and deeper into the solar system.
Other improvements include a reusable payload fairing to support higher launch rates, a redesigned lower-cost propellant tank, and an upgraded reusable thermal protection system to speed up refurbishment and re-flight.
In a major step towards expanding its launch portfolio, Blue Origin also confirmed development of a super heavy variant of New Glenn. Named for its engine configuration, the New Glenn 9×4 will feature nine BE-4 engines on the first stage and four on the second, substantially increasing lift capacity.
The 9×4 variant is designed to haul more than 70 tonnes to low-Earth orbit, over 14 tonnes directly to geosynchronous orbit, and more than 20 tonnes on a translunar injection trajectory. It will also debut a larger 8.7-metre payload fairing for oversized cargo.
Blue Origin plans to operate the 9×4 alongside the current 7×2 New Glenn model, offering customers a broader range of options for mega-constellation deployments, lunar missions, deep-space exploration and national security launches, including projects such as the Golden Dome.
The company said the combined fleet will provide the flexibility and muscle required to meet rapidly growing global launch demand.