Hey space fans, Big news from Blue Origin! On 20 November 2025, Jeff Bezos' company rolled out early plans for New Glenn 9×4–a supercharged version of its orbital launcher designed to go toe-to-toe with SpaceX's Falcon rockets. 🚀
The name 9×4 comes from its beefed-up engine lineup: nine engines powering the first stage and four on the second stage–two more on each stage compared to the original New Glenn. More engines mean more oomph to lift heavier satellites into orbit. 🔥
Why it matters: As Asia's satellite scene booms–from IoT networks in India to Earth-monitoring platforms in Indonesia and Malaysia–reliable and cost-effective launches are gold. New Glenn 9×4 aims to offer a fresh option beyond SpaceX, shaking up the market and potentially driving down launch prices. 🌏
Plus, having multiple rocket families (like SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Heavy) gives regional startups more flexibility. Imagine your agri-tech startup in the Philippines or your climate-monitoring project in Vietnam getting a faster ride to space! 🛰️
Next steps: Blue Origin hasn't set a launch date yet, but with this bold step, it's clear they're gearing up for bigger missions. We're hyped to see the first liftoff–stay tuned for more updates! ✨
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
