 BE-4 on build stand | |
| Country of origin |  United States |
|---|---|
| First flight | January 8, 2024 |
| Designer | Blue Origin |
| Manufacturer | Blue Origin |
| Associated LV | Vulcan Centaur New Glenn |
| Predecessor | BE-3[1] |
| Status | In production |
| Liquid-fuel engine | |
| Propellant | LOX / CH4 |
| Performance | |
| Thrust, sea-level | 2,450 kN (550,000 lbf) |
| Throttle range | 40–100% |
| Chamber pressure | 134 bar (13,400 kPa) |
| Specific impulse | 340 s (3.3 km/s)[2] |
| Burn time | 299 seconds (Vulcan)[3][4] |
| Gimbal range | ±5° |
The BE-4 (Blue Engine 4)[5] is an oxygen-rich[6] liquefied-methane-fueled staged-combustion rocket engine produced by Blue Origin. The BE-4 was developed with private and public funding.[7] The engine has been designed to produce 2.4 meganewtons (550,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level.[8]
It was initially planned for the engine to be used exclusively on a Blue Origin proprietary launch vehicle New Glenn, the company's first orbital rocket. However, it was announced in 2014 that the engine would also be used on the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle, the successor to the Atlas V launch vehicle.[9] Final engine selection by ULA happened in September 2018.[10]
Although previously planned to fly as early as 2019, the first flight test of the new engine was launched on 8 January 2024 on the Vulcan Centaur rocket.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
wp201409was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Jeff Bezos, Tim Dodd (15 August 2024). First Look Inside Blue Origin's New Glenn Factory w/ Jeff Bezos!. Event occurs at 1:10:48.
- ^ Jan. 8 LIVE Broadcast: Vulcan Cert-1. United Launch Alliance. Event occurs at 57:11. Retrieved 11 July 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Vulcan Cert-1". United Launch Alliance. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ Alan Boyle (17 September 2014). "Bezos vs. Musk: Blue Origin and ULA Turn Up the Heat in Rocket Battle". NBC News. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
- ^ "Rocket Engines Designed for Reuse". Blue Origin. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
- ^ Berger, Eric (5 August 2021). "Blue Origin's powerful BE-4 engine is more than four years late—here's why". Ars Technica. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ "BE-4 Rocket Engine" (PDF). ULA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ars20160309was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "United Launch Alliance Building Rocket of the Future with Industry-Leading Strategic Partnerships". 28 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.