Blue Origin Signs Long-Term Agreements With Four Kansas Companies to Support New Glenn Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicle and Engine Programs
Multi-year contracts showcase Greater Wichita region’s world-class manufacturers and historic leadership in aerospace innovation
WICHITA, Kan. (Blue Origin PR) — Blue Origin announced today that it has signed multi-year contracts with four Greater Wichita area companies: Accurus Aerospace Wichita, C.E. Machine Company Inc, Harlow Aerostructures LLC, and Orizon Aerostructures, LLC. These contracts will support Blue Origin’s engine programs as well as New Glenn, Blue Origin’s reusable heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle designed to support commercial, civil, and national security space missions.
“Accurus Wichita is proud to be a supplier partner with Blue Origin, and we believe these important programs will benefit from the deep aerospace manufacturing expertise in the greater Wichita area,” said Larry Johnson, President and General Manager of Accurus Aerospace Wichita, LLC.
“C.E. Machine is excited to have the opportunity to support ongoing programs supporting Blue Origin’s mission to create the next generation of astronauts. It is incredible to imagine that in the very near term these products will play an intricate role in the advancement of commercializing space travel. We are thankful for the opportunity provided by Blue Origin’s leadership team and are looking forward to a long-lasting partnership for generations to come,” said Ryan Smith, Director of Business Development at C.E. Machine.
“We are very excited and thankful to be a part of Blue Origin’s New Glenn Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle and engine programs. With the help of the Greater Wichita Partnership and Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, this opportunity will allow the next generation of Harlow employees a long career supporting Blue Origin, our community and our state. Thank you, Blue Origin, for allowing us to be your partner in this great adventure,” said Jim Barnes, President of Harlow Aerostructures.
“We are thrilled to join the Blue Origin team as a trusted partner and look forward to joining them on their great adventure to build a road to space,” said Henry Newell, President of Orizon Aerostructures.
“We at Team Blue are proud to forge supplier partnerships for our engine programs and New Glenn with these four world-class companies. The Greater Wichita region has played a pioneering role in aerospace that dates back to Amelia Earhart, and with these agreements, that legacy continues into the second golden age of spaceflight. We are thrilled for these manufacturers to join us as we write the next chapter of aerospace history. I want to thank Senator Jerry Moran and the Greater Wichita Partnership for hosting us in Wichita earlier this year and introducing us to these exceptional companies,” said Bob Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Blue Origin.
About Accurus Aerospace Wichita
Founded in 1989, Accurus Aerospace Wichita LLC (formerly ZTM Aerospace) is a world-class aerospace manufacturing facility with a wide range of fabrication and machining capabilities. Offering mid-sized to large machined products and complex assemblies, Accurus is dedicated to providing the highest quality manufacturing to the aerospace sector. For additional information, please visit the Accurus Aerospace Wichita website at https://www.accurusaero.com/locations/accurus-aerospace-wichita/.
About C.E. Machine
For over 40 years, C.E. Machine has been the leading provider of superior engineering, machining, and assembly services. Offering innovative solutions for the aerospace, commercial, military, domestic, and global markets, C.E. Machine provides highly specialized services to deliver complex assemblies and machined components for projects of every size. For additional information, please visit the C.E. Machine website at https://www.cemachine.com/.
About Harlow Aerostructures
Founded in 1956, Harlow Aerostructures is a leading supplier of complex machined components and electro-mechanical and structural subassemblies to the commercial, business, and military aerospace industries and is a certified FAA/EASA Repair Station. Harlow is committed to maintaining a technological edge through new machine acquisitions, upgrades, and management information systems in its operations. For additional information, please visit the Harlow Aerostructures website at https://www.harlowair.com/.
About Orizon
Founded in 2016 and serving commercial, defense, and general aviation, Orizon’s capabilities include major aircraft subassembly manufacturing, complex monolithic machining, processing, and programming/engineering. Orizon is committed to building one, large, integrated Aerospace and Defense business based on organic growth strategy supported by unique people, systems, processes, facilities, relationships, and equipment. For additional information, please visit the Orizon website at https://www.orizonaero.com/.
About Blue Origin
Blue Origin is a private space company developing launch vehicles, rocket engines, and in-space capabilities in order to lower the cost of access to space through operational reusability. The company has a long-term vision to enable a future with millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth with low-cost, highly reliable commercial space transportation. For additional information, please visit Blue Origin’s website at https://www.blueorigin.com.
41 responses to “Blue Origin Signs Long-Term Agreements With Four Kansas Companies to Support New Glenn Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicle and Engine Programs”
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This is an interesting article. Orizon seems to be doing airliner and military work with their facilities in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. They seem to be supporting 737, Tinker AFB depot, and Boeing St Louis. Their web page shows large aircraft parts being milled out of billet. Orizon is new going into business the same year New Glenn was virtually rolled out to the public. The others are legacy shops doing much the same but also construct large aircraft structures out of riveted sheet metal. These companies have what it takes to make a large launch vehicle. But why is all this being announced now 5 years after the public start of the program? We know some prototype hardware exists. Did these companies do that work? After the example given by SpaceX of what can be done with doing almost everything in house, why this move to outsource? Not only that but outsource to the great plains area. It’s not close to Washington, nor is it close to the Florida-Alabama region. New Glenn parts are going to have quite a journey to Florida. I thought that large building in Florida was a manufacturing and assembly hall. Now it seems it will only be an assembly and maybe refurb facility. After seeing this announcement, I have to ask. Just what hasn’t been happening on with the New Glenn program over the past 5 years?
No, the contracts weren’t in place for those and the scale of New Glenn hardware is massive. We also saw the work being done to build said hardware at the Exploration Park factory in Florida. For example we saw the Big Piece interstage hardware under construction earlier this year:
https://youtu.be/iXOXKfarFh…
You can see the two big sections, one is clearly stated to be part of the aft module (with big landing gear well) and the other is for the forward module (interstage). We didn’t get to see the aft piece in the most recent update a few weeks ago, but we did get to see the interstage:
https://uploads.disquscdn.c… https://uploads.disquscdn.c… https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
This same structure was recently spied in Blue’s Tank Testing and Cleaning facility:
https://twitter.com/Mike_Se…
You can also see in the Twitter photo that the smaller ring (avionics ring?) off to the left appears to have been attached to the interstage.
And keep in mind that while SpaceX does a lot of in-house work, they still do a fair amount of outsourcing of their own. For example, Airborne Systems designed and made the parachutes that have been successfully used on the Dragon spacecraft. Another is the subcontractor who made the struts for the helium bottles in the Falcon 9, one of which failed and caused the loss of the CRS-7 mission. And of course the COPVs are as well.
So until we get more details, I hesitate to jump to the conclusion that suddenly Blue is switching over to total or near total outsourcing of manufacturing of parts for New Glenn.
What do you make of these contract announcements when you see all that hardware, all that manufactured and manufacturing hardware in that video? Do you think Blue is going to get out of the manufacturing business and become a design and integration shop?
I suspect it’s just Bezos doubling down on his efforts to build a brand-new OldSpace company complete with a widespread subcontractor network to provide political leverage in as many districts and states with established aerospace presences as possible. Wichita’s significant aerospace presence dates from WW2 when a lot of heartland aircraft factory capacity was quickly built as a hedge against possible Japanese bombing of West Coast aircraft plants.
An excellent point. I like Brian’s response above this one. He makes some good points.
They need the jobs and if he is willing to pay, so be it.
To paraphrase you, I suspect that they are providing the one major thing
we’ve not yet seen at the factory; the big strakes, fins, and the
electro-actuators for the New Glenn first stage.
I wouldn’t take something we’ve not seen as not being there. Here’s something from off Accurus’s website:
It can just as well be that parts are being primed, finished, and anodized, etc for Blue Origin.
Oh and to add to the list of SpaceX outsourced contractors, they also outsource the anodizing of the Merlin engines.
Of course SX has subs. The point is that they do most or all of the major stuff in their own shops, and when outside shops have under performed, they have taken that process in-house in many cases to insure they get what they want.
This, on the other hand, appears to be BO finding shops to outsource major parts of NG to, in order to make Congress critters happy, ala Old Space.
Of course the above is just a guess, but the fact the press release specifically mentioned a Congress critter tends to support my guess.
Not in all cases. Just one or two and the rest SpaceX made sure that they and their subcontractor understood the problem and put in place new procedures to deal with the issues.
Anodizing parts stayed with the subcontractor in that case because it was too difficult and expensive for SpaceX to do it themselves.
The biggest problem would be all the CA environmental regulation that would face any new plating/anodizing facility. That was, no doubt, a major consideration in deciding to farm that part of the job out.
That would be something that those companies have a great deal of experience with, large aerodynamic structures, like wings, elevons, and such.
But I think that Brian and Nick are also correct that this is to bring in enough of an experienced work force as well as to do work like anodizing of parts.
By adding “facilities in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri”, Bezos is integrating 6 additional Senators and numerous Congresspersons onto his team
I still say the best use of the money is to hire hookers and private eyes to get congressmen in trouble…and ransom them into a constitutional amendment for NASA/Space Force to get $100 billion a year…kiliing the USAF in the process.
I’m just chiming in with some really interesting news here; at least a couple sets of fairings went to Ohio for testing at NASA’s mega-sized vacuum chamber there!
https://twitter.com/Codemas…
We heard about this 8 months ago in a SpaceNews article and now it’s happening for real!
In the third photo (bottom left), you can make out a payload adapter. Based on its shape and size, it’s a standard one.
Up the Mississippi from the Gulf of Mexico? 🙂
Possible. But given the location, it could’ve also come up along the Eastern U.S. coast and then through a canal to Lake Erie.
Yes indeed. But I could not resist.
Either way, I can’t wait to see footage of those fairings being tested! Hopefully Blue Origin will do the smart thing and show it!
Blue Origin is going to become synonymous with vaporware if they don’t start showing real product.
Seeing them in action will be pretty damn awesome! Other than Skylab’s fairing (for the Apollo Telescope Mount and the Multiple Docking Adapter). New Glenn’s fairings will be the biggest fairings until… or if... SLS’ cargo variant fairings come along.
Props for the Johnny Horton paraphrase.
Nice catch there!
That reminds me that I wish that Exploration Park wasn’t on Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral SFS property since it makes it much, much harder for people to set up and continuously observe the New Glenn factory they way SpaceX’s Boca Chica site in Texas can.
An easier explanation for this arrangement is staffing challenges and not necessarily the lack of desire to do as much as possible in house.
If you cannot hire and train new employees quickly enough to meet your objectives then this is your only choice. Then bring it back in house later on.
I had the opportunity to attend the Blue Origin job fair in Los Angeles last week. I spoke with John Vilja (head of BO engines group) and he pretty much said the same.
That’s some interesting 1st hand information. I wonder how much of that short staffing is due to anyone who follows the industry probably does not take them all that seriously.
When your desire to do everything in house runs into the reality of your schedule continuously slipping into the future. It’s the smart thing to do if they want to get New Glenn to space as soon as possible. No need to invoke any scheming of intent to ingratiate your company with Congress.
“I want to thank Senator Jerry Moran…for hosting us in Wichita earlier this year and introducing us to these exceptional companies,” said Bob Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Blue Origin.“
That’s all I need to hear to conclude that ingratiating BO with Congress was at least part of the agenda. This is how Bob Smith is used to operating, after all. It comes as natural to him as breathing.
Politicians always worm their way into these events so they can claim credit for helping create jobs. You don’t give the middle finger to your new hosts. These statements are boilerplate.
I seriously doubt any real desire to fly New Glenn.
They have an office in Woodland Hills, CA where they employ mostly engines related people. Lots of former Aerojet Rocketdyne people. Some of which have come out of retirement to help train younger staff. World class experts on topics like rocket engine instrumentation. They are also opening an office in El Segundo area.
I also spoke with a BO supervisor working at AFRL out at Edwards. BE-7 testing continuing in spite of contract loss and lawsuit. Blue Moon also still in development as separate program from HLS descent stage.
Old Space all over again. Don’t be surprised if New Glenn and BE-4 RUDs make SX failures look like a few firecrackers. Remember all the video tours we’ve seen of the Florida BO facility? With lots of supposed NG structures sitting around? I’m guessing that facility is only capable of producing prototypes. It looks like they need outside shops to do much of the heavy lifting, unlike SX.
Don’t be surprised if a number of additional announcements of suppliers for BO/NG/BE-4 follow in different congressional districts. As I say, Old Space all over again.
I think you’re right. But a shop capable of making those full diameter prototypes should be able to make a full scale prototype. And a full scale prototype shop should be able to make 2 or so articles a year, which honestly will fit New Glenn’s launch rate for the first year. It’s not like that LV has a line out the door for launch customers. I think you’re right BO is going to pursue government as customer approach and take on Vulcan. If so, ULA has to ask themselves if BO is delaying BE-4 to give NG more time to catch up with Vulcan.
Never attribute to malice and calculation what is adequately explained by simple incompetence.
Wichita is on the Arkansas River, a barge route to the Mississippi (and Florida).
Ah! Excellent observation. That explains how the large diameter pieces parts can go back and forth.
Midwestern boy, grandparents lived on the Mississippi
Napoleon can never be ignored in these matters.
Apparently. You’re right, that’s the only coherent story we’ve herd from that shop that reaches back in time. Well put.
Yes, Blue Origin is a traditional space firm now. The one big hazard when you give a venture too much money, there is no incentive to get creative and be innovative. The creativity of organizations is usually primary by time or money constraints to reach a goal, which is why Elon Musk pushes ‘unreachable” aspirational goals for Starship.