Spaceflight 101 10/20/2017
Blue Origin this week conducted the first hot fire test of the company’s BE-4 engine, hoped to become the future workhorse for Blue’s own New Glenn heavy-lift launch vehicle as well as United Launch Alliance’s upcoming Vulcan rocket. Wednesday’s brief test firing marked a major step towards certifying the engine for service before the end of the decade to support the company’s ambitious goals of becoming a major competitor on the commercial launch market.
Developed with private funding, BE-4 is now on course to become the most powerful Liquid Natural Gas-powered engine reaching operational status, employing innovative technology, conservative design margins and a fully re-usable architecture in support of Blue Origin’s future orbital launch venture.
Entering development at the start of the decade, BE-4 had a long path to the test stand including a fairly major re-design when United Launch Alliance opted for Blue’s engine as the prime candidate for Vulcan, requiring the engine to grow in size to deliver the thrust needed to lift the vehicle. Early in 2017, Blue Origin lost a set of powerpack hardware in a test anomaly, showcasing the inherent difficulties in developing a high-performance engine.
More:
http://spaceflight101.com/blue-origins-be-4-engine-completes-first-hot-fire-test/
