The future of space travel just got even bigger—literally.
On Monday, Jeff Bezos revealed an ambitious plan to launch some of the largest rockets ever built before the end of this decade.
His company, Blue Origin, is set to design and construct two variants of the New Glenn rocket, which could potentially outmatch SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy in sheer size and capability.
Named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, these towering rockets will mark a significant step in Bezos’ long-term vision of millions of people living and working in space.
With reusable boosters and unprecedented payload capacity, New Glenn aims to disrupt the space industry in ways not seen since the Apollo program.
Just How Big Are These Rockets?
When it comes to size, New Glenn rockets will be giants. Blue Origin has announced two versions:
- Two-stage variant: 270 feet (82 meters) tall
- Three-stage variant: 313 feet (95 meters) tall
For comparison, here’s how they stack up against their competition:
- SpaceX Falcon 9: 229 feet (70 meters)
- SpaceX Falcon Heavy: 229 feet (70 meters)
- NASA’s Saturn V (Apollo era): 363 feet (111 meters)
- NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS, upcoming): 321 feet (98 meters)
While not quite as tall as Saturn V, New Glenn rockets will dwarf SpaceX’s Falcon series and could be capable of launching payloads beyond Earth’s orbit.
The Reusability Factor
One of the key innovations of the New Glenn is its reusable first-stage booster.
Blue Origin has already proven reusability with its suborbital New Shepard rocket, and Bezos plans to apply those lessons to New Glenn.
“Building, flying, landing, and re-flying New Shepard has taught us so much about how to design for practical, operable reusability.
And New Glenn incorporates all of those learnings,” Bezos wrote in an email to Business Insider.
Is SpaceX Falling Behind?
For years, SpaceX has been the undisputed leader in commercial spaceflight. But New Glenn could change that.
While SpaceX has successfully reused Falcon 9 boosters multiple times, New Glenn’s larger payload capacity and focus on reusability could make it a serious competitor.
Could Bezos outpace Elon Musk? That remains to be seen, but Blue Origin’s slow, methodical approach could prove to be an advantage in the long run.
Unlike SpaceX’s rapid and sometimes risky innovation cycle, Bezos emphasizes a long-term, carefully engineered approach.
What’s Next? Enter “New Armstrong”
If New Glenn wasn’t ambitious enough, Bezos has hinted at an even bigger project: New Armstrong.
While details remain scarce, speculation suggests that New Armstrong could be a lunar lander or even a Mars-bound spacecraft.
“New Glenn is a very important step. It won’t be the last, of course. Up next on our drawing board: New Armstrong. But that’s a story for the future,” Bezos teased.
The Space Race Heats Up
With SpaceX aiming for Mars, NASA developing SLS, and Blue Origin unveiling massive rockets with high reusability, the space race is entering a new era of competition.
Bezos’ vision of a spacefaring civilization may be a step closer to reality—if he can deliver on his promises.
One thing is certain: the battle for the future of spaceflight is far from over.
