Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket has been at the center of a long-standing debate about the economics of reusing its second stage, or GS2. The company's efforts to make the upper stage reusable have seen some ebbs and flows in recent years.
The decision on whether to reuse the GS2 was part of the design discussions for the New Glenn rocket when it first began development. Back then, it was clear that the first stage would be fully reusable, but what about the upper stage? Blue Origin's founder, Jeff Bezos, has long been an advocate for reusing the upper stage, while the company's CEO, Dave Limp, has expressed more skepticism.
The debate came to a head in the early 2010s, around the same time SpaceX was also grappling with the economics of reusing its Falcon 9 rocket. Elon Musk abandoned his goal of a fully reusable Falcon 9 and instead focused on recovering payload fairings and reducing manufacturing costs. This strategy has been successful for SpaceX, which now aims to make its Starship rocket fully reusable.
For Blue Origin, however, the upper stage is a bigger challenge. The company's New Glenn rocket is larger than SpaceX's Falcon 9, but smaller than Starship. As a result, Blue Origin has struggled with whether to reuse the GS2 or pursue cost-cutting measures.
Recently, Blue Origin posted a job for a director of "Reusable Upper Stage Development," which suggests that the debate may be swinging back in favor of reusing the GS2. The salary range for the position is up to $284,430, indicating that the company is serious about investing in this area.
The issue with the current upper stage is its cost. According to sources, it costs over $50 million to build, which is a significant burden for Blue Origin's launch business. While the company plans to reduce costs by manufacturing more second stages and simplifying designs, there are still limits to how much savings can be achieved.
Reusing the upper stage is still an unknown quantity, and SpaceX is also experimenting with thermal protection systems for its Starship vehicle. However, if Blue Origin can find a way to make it work, it could significantly reduce costs and help the company build a sustainable launch business.
The debate over reusing the GS2 is likely to continue, but recent developments suggest that the tide may be shifting in favor of reusability. As the new director of upper stage development takes on the challenge, Blue Origin will need to navigate the complexities of this technology to make it a reality.
The decision on whether to reuse the GS2 was part of the design discussions for the New Glenn rocket when it first began development. Back then, it was clear that the first stage would be fully reusable, but what about the upper stage? Blue Origin's founder, Jeff Bezos, has long been an advocate for reusing the upper stage, while the company's CEO, Dave Limp, has expressed more skepticism.
The debate came to a head in the early 2010s, around the same time SpaceX was also grappling with the economics of reusing its Falcon 9 rocket. Elon Musk abandoned his goal of a fully reusable Falcon 9 and instead focused on recovering payload fairings and reducing manufacturing costs. This strategy has been successful for SpaceX, which now aims to make its Starship rocket fully reusable.
For Blue Origin, however, the upper stage is a bigger challenge. The company's New Glenn rocket is larger than SpaceX's Falcon 9, but smaller than Starship. As a result, Blue Origin has struggled with whether to reuse the GS2 or pursue cost-cutting measures.
Recently, Blue Origin posted a job for a director of "Reusable Upper Stage Development," which suggests that the debate may be swinging back in favor of reusing the GS2. The salary range for the position is up to $284,430, indicating that the company is serious about investing in this area.
The issue with the current upper stage is its cost. According to sources, it costs over $50 million to build, which is a significant burden for Blue Origin's launch business. While the company plans to reduce costs by manufacturing more second stages and simplifying designs, there are still limits to how much savings can be achieved.
Reusing the upper stage is still an unknown quantity, and SpaceX is also experimenting with thermal protection systems for its Starship vehicle. However, if Blue Origin can find a way to make it work, it could significantly reduce costs and help the company build a sustainable launch business.
The debate over reusing the GS2 is likely to continue, but recent developments suggest that the tide may be shifting in favor of reusability. As the new director of upper stage development takes on the challenge, Blue Origin will need to navigate the complexities of this technology to make it a reality.
so blue origin's got a big challenge on its hands 
. reusing that upper stage is like trying to fold a fitted sheet 
- seems impossible at first, but you gotta try it like 10 times before it works 
. seriously though, $50 million for one stage is crazy 
. i think blue origin's got to take the leap and invest in making it work 
. but if anyone can make it happen, it's blue origin 
. they're not giving up on this one 
. will be interesting to see how this plays out 
I don't get why they're still debating this! It's like, come on guys, just try it already! 
I mean, Elon Musk made it work with SpaceX, now it's Blue Origin's turn... what's the hold up? 
And don't even get me started on the cost savings... like, it's not going to make or break the company. It's just a part of the launch business, you know? 
. SpaceX has shown that it can work with cost-cutting measures, but Blue Origin is aiming higher 
. I'm rooting for Blue Origin to make this happen! 
and its like they're kinda leaning back in favour of making it work 
but its also super costly rn 
and help them build a sustainable launch business 
.
they're already strugglin with costs on new glenn, so this could be the game changer they need to make it in the long run