Blue Origin steps into Starship territory with massive New Glenn 9×4 super-heavy rocket

Blue Origin has unveiled a super-heavy variant of its New Glenn rocket, named the New Glenn 9×4, marking a significant advancement toward higher-capacity orbital and lunar missions. This new model features nine BE-4 engines on the first stage and four BE-3U engines on the upper stage, increasing thrust and lifting capability compared to the existing 7×2 configuration. The 9×4 can deliver over 70 metric tons to low Earth orbit, more than 14 metric tons to geosynchronous orbit, and over 20 metric tons to trans-lunar injection, placing it in the super-heavy class alongside SpaceX’s Starship. It also introduces a wider 8.7-meter fairing to accommodate larger satellites and multi-payload stacks, targeting missions such as mega-constellations, lunar exploration, and national security launches. Alongside the introduction of the 9×4, Blue Origin is upgrading the current New Glenn 7×2 variant with enhanced propulsion, structures