Blue Origin announces GS3 third stage for New Glenn and Northstar methalox engine

Blue Origin announced on Nov. 5 that it has developed a third stage, called GS3, for its New Glenn rocket, Space.com reports. The company says the stage will make the launcher more capable and flexible space.comSpace.comspace.comOpen source ↗. On the same day it also disclosed a new first-stage engine, Northstar space.comSpace.comspace.comOpen source ↗.

GS3: third stage and first booking

GS3 will be powered by one BE-7 engine, which the company developed for its Blue Moon spacecraft, one of two private vehicles NASA selected as crewed lunar landers for Artemis space.comSpace.comspace.comOpen source ↗. According to Blue Origin, the stage enables direct deployment of satellite constellations to GEO and supports heavy-lift science and exploration missions to the Moon and deep space space.comSpace.comspace.comOpen source ↗.

Blue Moon landing missions will not need to fly on GS3-equipped rockets, the company said. But by delivering significant payload mass directly to trans-lunar injection, GS3 enables faster transit times while preserving propellant for on-orbit operations space.comSpace.comspace.comOpen source ↗. A government customer, which Blue Origin did not name, has booked a GS3 mission to cislunar space, with launch targeted for 2028 space.comSpace.comspace.comOpen source ↗.

New Glenn is currently a two-stage vehicle. Its reusable first stage has seven BE-4 engines and its second stage has two BE-3U engines. The rocket is 322 feet (98 meters) tall and can carry 14.3 tons (13 metric tons) to geostationary transfer orbit and 50 tons (45 metric tons) to low Earth orbit space.comSpace.comspace.comOpen source ↗. The planned 9x4 variant, with nine BE-4 and four BE-3U engines, will be nearly 400 feet (122 m) tall and, according to Blue Origin, will lift 15.4 tons (14 metric tons) to GTO and 77 tons (70 metric tons) to LEO space.comSpace.comspace.comOpen source ↗.

New Glenn has flown three times, all in the 7x2 configuration: in January 2025, in November 2025 and on April 19. On the last flight the rocket placed AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite into the wrong orbit, and the spacecraft was lost. On May 28 the rocket exploded on the pad during a routine engine test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The fourth flight is expected late this year space.comSpace.comspace.comOpen source ↗.

Northstar: new first-stage engine

Like the BE-4, Northstar burns liquid oxygen and liquid methane. Blue Origin says that compared with the BE-4 it reduces mass by 30% and parts count by 50%, while raising thrust from 640,000 to 715,000 pounds-force space.comSpace.comspace.comOpen source ↗.

The company also said manufacturing advancements have shortened production timelines, enabling assembly in less than a day. Northstar went from program approval to development testing in 11 months, according to Blue Origin. The update did not give a date for the engine's first flight space.comSpace.comspace.comOpen source ↗.