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BE-4
The BE-4 (Blue Engine 4) is a liquid rocket engine developed by Blue Origin. It uses liquefied methane fuel and operates on an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle. The BE-4 produces 2,400 kN (550,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level.
Development of the BE-4 was funded through a combination of private investment and public contracts.
Although initially intended solely for use on Blue Origin's proprietary launch vehicle, the New Glenn, the engine was also selected in 2014 by United Launch Alliance (ULA) for its Vulcan Centaur rocket, which replaces the Atlas V. ULA finalized the BE-4 as its choice in September 2018.
The BE-4 made its first flight aboard the Vulcan Centaur rocket on 8 January 2024. It later launched on New Glenn for the first time on 16 January 2025.
Following Aerojet's acquisition of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in 2012, Blue Origin president Rob Meyerson saw an opportunity to fill a gap in the defense industrial base. Blue Origin publicly entered the liquid rocket engine business by partnering with ULA and other companies on the development of BE-4. Meyerson announced the selection of Huntsville, AL as the location of Blue Origin's rocket engine production factory in June 2017.
Blue Origin began work on the BE-4 in 2011, although the public announcement was made in September 2014. This was their first engine to combust liquid oxygen and methane propellants.
In September 2014 ULA selected BE-4 as the main engine for the Vulcan launch vehicle. Vulcan is a successor to the Atlas V, and BE-4 would replace the Russian-made RD-180 engine. Blue Origin said that the "BE-4 would be 'ready for flight' by 2017". Blue Origin indicated that they intend to make the engine available to companies beyond ULA.
By April 2015, two parallel development programs were under way. One program was testing full-scale versions of the BE-4 powerpack, the set of valves and turbopumps that provide the proper fuel/oxidizer mix to the injectors and combustion chamber. The second program was testing subscale versions of the engine's injectors. The company planned to begin full-scale engine testing in late 2016 and expected to complete development in 2017.
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BE-4 AI simulator
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BE-4
The BE-4 (Blue Engine 4) is a liquid rocket engine developed by Blue Origin. It uses liquefied methane fuel and operates on an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle. The BE-4 produces 2,400 kN (550,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level.
Development of the BE-4 was funded through a combination of private investment and public contracts.
Although initially intended solely for use on Blue Origin's proprietary launch vehicle, the New Glenn, the engine was also selected in 2014 by United Launch Alliance (ULA) for its Vulcan Centaur rocket, which replaces the Atlas V. ULA finalized the BE-4 as its choice in September 2018.
The BE-4 made its first flight aboard the Vulcan Centaur rocket on 8 January 2024. It later launched on New Glenn for the first time on 16 January 2025.
Following Aerojet's acquisition of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in 2012, Blue Origin president Rob Meyerson saw an opportunity to fill a gap in the defense industrial base. Blue Origin publicly entered the liquid rocket engine business by partnering with ULA and other companies on the development of BE-4. Meyerson announced the selection of Huntsville, AL as the location of Blue Origin's rocket engine production factory in June 2017.
Blue Origin began work on the BE-4 in 2011, although the public announcement was made in September 2014. This was their first engine to combust liquid oxygen and methane propellants.
In September 2014 ULA selected BE-4 as the main engine for the Vulcan launch vehicle. Vulcan is a successor to the Atlas V, and BE-4 would replace the Russian-made RD-180 engine. Blue Origin said that the "BE-4 would be 'ready for flight' by 2017". Blue Origin indicated that they intend to make the engine available to companies beyond ULA.
By April 2015, two parallel development programs were under way. One program was testing full-scale versions of the BE-4 powerpack, the set of valves and turbopumps that provide the proper fuel/oxidizer mix to the injectors and combustion chamber. The second program was testing subscale versions of the engine's injectors. The company planned to begin full-scale engine testing in late 2016 and expected to complete development in 2017.