Blue Origin announces 3rd stage for its powerful New Glenn rocket —and a new engine

Blue Origin is advancing its New Glenn rocket program with the announcement of a fully functional third stage. This newly developed stage aims to significantly enhance the launcher’s versatility and overall performance capabilities. The company reports that this addition will allow for greater mission flexibility during launch operations. Blue Origin has concurrently engineered a novel propulsion system known as Northstar. Initial testing of both the third-stage technology and the Northstar engine are slated to commence in the near future.