Blue Origin plans 150 New Glenn launches per year from Florida — Ars Technica
Blue Origin has announced an expansion of its space infrastructure in Florida, United States, with the aim of eventually carrying out up to 150 launches of heavy New Glenn rockets per year. Ars Technica reports.
Blue Origin plans to build two more launch pads for New Glenn in addition to the two complexes already under construction at Cape Canaveral. The company is also investing in a new manufacturing facility intended to produce up to 150 second stages for a larger version of the rocket.
Landing vessels and payloads
In addition to launch complexes, Blue Origin intends to acquire two additional landing vessels to catch and recover the New Glenn first stage. The company currently has one such vessel, Jacklyn.
Blue Origin also plans, together with the U.S. Space Force, to establish a payload integration center with four bays. It is expected to make it possible to prepare several missions simultaneously. Ian Richardson, Blue Origin’s senior vice president of operations, said the infrastructure is designed for several flights per week by the end of the decade.
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Rebuilding the LC-36A complex
According to Blue Origin, the company has already invested about $3 billion in Florida in manufacturing and launch capabilities, primarily for the New Glenn rocket. More than 5,000 company employees and 500 suppliers operate in the state, while its manufacturing and operational network includes more than 20 sites in Brevard and Orange counties.
At the end of May, a problem with one of the BE-4 engines led to the loss of the rocket and the LC-36A launch complex at Cape Canaveral. Blue Origin is rebuilding the site, and Ars Technica estimates that New Glenn launches could resume in the first months of 2027.
Nearby, the company is completing the LC-36B complex for the larger New Glenn 9×4 variant. It will have nine engines on the first stage, while the smaller 7×2 version has seven engines. According to the publication, the 9×4 rocket is designed to deliver up to 70 tonnes of cargo to low Earth orbit.
