Key facts
By the
numbers.
| Operator | Blue Origin |
|---|---|
| Height | 98 m |
| Diameter | 7 m |
| Fairing | 7 m |
| First stage | 7 BE-4 |
| Second stage | 2 BE-3U |
| Payload to LEO | 45 t |
| First flight | 16 January 2025 |
The Real Rocket
New Glenn: history, specs and launches
New Glenn is Blue Origin’s heavy-lift rocket, named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth. It is 98 m tall with a 7 m fairing and a reusable first stage that lands on a ship at sea. It reached orbit on its first flight on 16 January 2025 and landed its first booster on 13 November 2025.
Facts checked October 2026 · sources below
By the
Launches so far
Moments that
made history.
- NG-1
Maiden flight reaches orbit with the Blue Ring Pathfinder; the booster is lost during its landing attempt.
- NG-2
Launches NASA’s ESCAPADE Mars probes and lands the first stage on the ship Jacklyn for the first time.
- NG-3
First re-flown New Glenn booster, which lands again; an upper-stage problem leaves the BlueBird 7 satellite in the wrong orbit.
- Pad accident
The vehicle for NG-4 is destroyed during a static-fire test, damaging Launch Complex 36.
Records & firsts
Worth
knowing.
- Seven-metre payload fairing.
- First re-flown New Glenn booster landed again on NG-3 (April 2026).
FAQ
Quick
answers.
How tall is New Glenn?
98 metres, with a diameter of 7 metres.
Who is New Glenn named after?
John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, in 1962.
Where does the New Glenn booster land?
On Blue Origin’s landing ship Jacklyn in the Atlantic Ocean.
When was the first New Glenn booster landing?
On 13 November 2025, on the NG-2 mission for NASA’s ESCAPADE.
Sources
Checked
against.
The past
More we’ve built.
Custom models & B2B