BE-3

BE-3 (Blue Engine 3)
BE-3 Undergoing testing
Country of originUnited States
First flight29 April 2015 (2015-04-29)
DesignerBlue Origin
ManufacturerBlue Origin
Associated LVNew Shepard
New Glenn
StatusActive
Liquid-fuel engine
PropellantLOX / LH2
Performance
Thrust, vacuum769 kN (173,000 lbf)
Thrust, sea-level488 kN (110,000 lbf)
Throttle range18–100%

The BE-3 (Blue Engine 3) is a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen rocket engine developed by Blue Origin.

The engine began development in the early 2010s and completed acceptance testing in early 2015. The engine is being used on the New Shepard suborbital rocket, for which made its first test flight on 29 April 2015 and had its first crewed flight on 20 July 2021.

A variant will be used in the 2nd stage of the New Glenn launcher.

In 2015, the engine was under consideration by United Launch Alliance (ULA) for use in a new second stage, the Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage, in ULA's Vulcan orbital launch vehicle with first flight in the 2020s.


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