BE-4

Blue Engine 4
	BE-4 on build stand
Country of origin	United States
First flight	2024
Manufacturer	Blue Origin
Application	Aerospace
Predecessor	BE-3
Status	Active
Liquid-fuel engine
Propellant	LOX / CH4
Performance
Thrust, sea-level	2.45 MN (250 tf; 550,000 lbf)
Throttle range	40–100%
Chamber pressure	134 bar (1,940 psi; 13.4 MPa)
Gimbal range	±5°
Used in
	Vulcan Centaur; New Glenn

The Blue Engine 4^[2] (BE-4) is an oxygen-rich^[3] liquefied-methane-fueled staged-combustion rocket engine produced by Blue Origin. The BE-4 was developed with private and public funding.^[4] The engine has been designed to produce 2.4 meganewtons (550,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level.^[5]

It was initially planned for the engine to be used exclusively on a Blue Origin proprietary launch vehicle New Glenn, the company's first orbital rocket. However, it was announced in 2014 that the engine would also be used on the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle, the successor to the Atlas V launch vehicle.^[6] Final engine selection by ULA happened in September 2018.^[7]

Although previously planned to fly as early as 2019, the first flight test of the new engine was launched on 8 January 2024 on the Vulcan rocket.

^ Cite error: The named reference wp201409 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Alan Boyle (17 September 2014). "Bezos vs. Musk: Blue Origin and ULA Turn Up the Heat in Rocket Battle". NBC News. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
^ "Rocket Engines Designed for Reuse". Blue Origin. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
^ Berger, Eric (5 August 2021). "Blue Origin's powerful BE-4 engine is more than four years late—here's why". Ars Technica. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
^ "BE-4 Rocket Engine" (PDF). ULA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
^ Cite error: The named reference ars20160309 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "United Launch Alliance Building Rocket of the Future with Industry-Leading Strategic Partnerships". 28 Sep 2018. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.

[wp201409-1] Cite error: The named reference wp201409 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[NBCNews-2014-09-17-2] Alan Boyle (17 September 2014). "Bezos vs. Musk: Blue Origin and ULA Turn Up the Heat in Rocket Battle". NBC News. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2015.

[3] "Rocket Engines Designed for Reuse". Blue Origin. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.

[ars20210805-4] Berger, Eric (5 August 2021). "Blue Origin's powerful BE-4 engine is more than four years late—here's why". Ars Technica. Retrieved 6 August 2021.

[5] "BE-4 Rocket Engine" (PDF). ULA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 2020-07-27.

[ars20160309-6] Cite error: The named reference ars20160309 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[7] "United Launch Alliance Building Rocket of the Future with Industry-Leading Strategic Partnerships". 28 Sep 2018. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.

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