Video: Blue Origin Fires Up New Engine as it Extends Cooperation with NASA
Blue Origin successfully fires the thrust chamber assembly for its new 100,000 pound thrust BE-3 liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen rocket engine. As part of the company’s Reusable Booster System (RBS), the engines are designed eventually to launch the biconic-shaped Space Vehicle the company is developing in collaboration with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Meanwhile, NASA and Blue Origin signed an agreement last week to extend their Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) partnership in an unfunded capacity. Between now and mid-2014, the company will continue to advance subsystems for its biconic-shaped spacecraft. The company also will test fire its liquid-oxygen and liquid-hydrogen fueled BE-3 engines at its West Texas Launch Site. This CCDev2 extension will allow NASA to provide expert feedback to Blue Origin as the company works through additional milestones.
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Thanks for that. Blue Origin is aiming for not just a capsule to carry crew but also the launcher for a full manned launch system, like SpaceX.
A 100,000 pound thrust engine is pretty high for a hydrogen fueled engine. It’s close to that of the first version of the kerosene-fueled Merlin, the Merlin 1A. This could even be used for SSTO launcher if you used a weight optimized stage like the Centaurs.
Bob Clark