NASA and Blue Origin Partner for New Glenn Rocket Testing at Stennis Space Center

NASA and Blue Origin have finalized an agreement to conduct critical second-stage hot-fire testing of the aerospace company’s upcoming New Glenn rocket. The testing will take place on the historic B-2 test stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Solidified through a recently signed annex to a reimbursable Space Act Agreement, this partnership underscores NASA’s ongoing commitment to fostering the commercial space sector while advancing its own deep-space exploration objectives under the Artemis campaign.

The New Glenn rocket is Blue Origin’s heavy-lift launch vehicle, designed to carry national security, commercial, and civil payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. Featuring a reusable first stage powered by seven BE-4 engines, the rocket’s second stage is propelled by two vacuum-optimized BE-3U engines, which will be the primary focus of the upcoming hot-fire tests at Stennis. The successful validation of New Glenn is vital to NASA's long-term lunar plans; in 2023, NASA selected Blue Origin to develop the Blue Moon human landing system for the Artemis V mission, a lander that will rely heavily on New Glenn’s massive lift capacity for its journey to the Moon.

Utilizing the B-2 test stand represents a strategic alignment of NASA’s state-of-the-art testing infrastructure with commercial innovation. The dual-position, vertical-firing test stand has a storied history, having previously validated propulsion systems for the Saturn V Apollo-era rockets, the Space Shuttle, and more recently, the core stage of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS).

"This partnership leverages Stennis's world-class testing capabilities to support the rapid growth of the commercial space economy," a NASA program official stated. "By utilizing federal infrastructure for commercial development, we are not only optimizing taxpayer-funded facilities but also accelerating the technical readiness of launch systems that will ultimately support humanity's sustained presence on the Moon."

Under the terms of the reimbursable agreement, Blue Origin will cover the costs associated with the test campaign, capitalizing on NASA's highly specialized personnel and safety-tested physical facilities. This collaboration is expected to expedite the validation of New Glenn’s upper stage, ensuring that the United States maintains a competitive, multi-faceted launch architecture capable of supporting both public and private operations in low-Earth orbit and deep space.