Blue Origin Starts Northstar Engine Test Firings
The company began test firing its Northstar engine, which it says could cost 25% as much to manufacture as its BE-4 engine.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Space
Blue Origin began test firings of its Northstar engine, a methane and liquid oxygen design with a starting thrust of 715,000 pounds, compared with 640,000 pounds for the BE-4. The company says Northstar has half as many parts and 30% less mass than BE-4, and that 65% of the engine can be made through 3D printing.
Why it matters
Lower manufacturing cost and fewer parts could make rocket engines cheaper to build and faster to produce as launch demand grows. Northstar is expected to eventually replace BE-4 on New Glenn.
Northstar's 715,000 pounds of starting thrust exceeds the BE-4's 640,000 pounds, and the company reports the engine has 30% less mass. Current production runs at roughly one engine every 10 days, and the company's cost and production targets have not yet been independently verified.
The players
Blue Origin
Blue Origin is a private aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos that develops reusable launch vehicles and rocket engines.
The details
Northstar retains the BE-4's oxygen-rich staged-combustion process and single-shaft turbopump layout while using a new design with fewer parts. Blue Origin also completed a liquid hydrogen tanking test in Texas using a 5.5-meter composite tank, which held its maximum operating pressure for 2.5 hours and was tested at 150% of operating pressure for 10 minutes.
Timeline
2028: Blue Origin is targeting a debut for the GS3 stage for a government customer, which is designed to fit inside New Glenn's interstage.
Roadmap
Northstar builds directly on the BE-4 architecture, keeping its oxygen-rich staged-combustion cycle and single-shaft turbopump layout while cutting parts and mass. The planned replacement of BE-4 on New Glenn would mark a shift from a licensed-in-style heavy engine toward a cheaper, more additively manufactured design.
Cheaper, faster-built rocket engines could lower the cost of launching satellites and payloads over time, which can affect the price of services that depend on space hardware. Any near-term effect on consumers is indirect and depends on whether the cost and production targets are met.
The takeaway
A cheaper, lighter, more additively manufactured engine could change how quickly new rockets are built and flown. Watch whether Blue Origin's cost and production claims hold as Northstar moves toward flight service.
Further reading
For more on rocket propulsion and launch vehicles, see our Space coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TokenPost.
