 BE-3 Undergoing testing | |
| Country of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| First flight | 29 April 2015 |
| Designer | Blue Origin |
| Manufacturer | Blue Origin |
| Associated LV | New Shepard New Glenn |
| Status | Active |
| Liquid-fuel engine | |
| Propellant | LOX / LH2 |
| Performance | |
| Thrust, vacuum | 769 kN (173,000 lbf) |
| Thrust, sea-level | 488 kN (110,000 lbf) |
| Throttle range | 18–100% |
The BE-3 (Blue Engine 3) is a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen rocket engine developed by Blue Origin.
The engine began development in the early 2010s and completed acceptance testing in early 2015. The engine is being used on the New Shepard suborbital rocket, for which made its first test flight on 29 April 2015 and had its first crewed flight on 20 July 2021.
A variant will be used in the 2nd stage of the New Glenn launcher.
In 2015, the engine was under consideration by United Launch Alliance (ULA) for use in a new second stage, the Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage, in ULA's Vulcan orbital launch vehicle with first flight in the 2020s.