The 15-second hotfire test was the first time the vehicle operated as a fully integrated system. This test was conducted to ensure the proper interaction of subsystems on the second stage, including its two BE-3U engines and the ground control systems.
The test also demonstrated three essential systems: the tank pressurization control system, which uses helium to pressurize the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks; the thrust vector control system, which steers the rocket using engine gimbaling; and the start-up and shutdown sequences of the BE-3U engines, which can be restarted multiple times during a mission.
In addition to hardware testing, this hotfire was a valuable opportunity for the launch operations team to practice procedures and verify the timing of key launch day activities.
New Glenn's second stage is designed for high-energy missions to low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and geosynchronous orbit (GEO). Standing 88 feet tall with a 23-foot diameter, it features two BE-3U engines with an expander bleed design that optimizes performance in thrust and cost. Each engine, initially rated for 160,000 lbf of thrust, will operate at 173,000 lbf during the NG-1 mission, making them among the highest thrust-to-weight hydrogen engines ever used.
The full New Glenn rocket stands over 320 feet tall. Its first stage is powered by seven BE-4 engines, the most powerful liquefied natural gas-fueled, oxygen-rich staged combustion engines ever flown. Alongside the BE-4 and BE-3U engines, Blue Origin also produces BE-7 engines for its Blue Moon lunar landers and the BE-3PM engines for its New Shepard vehicles.
Related Links
Blue Origin
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com
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