Tuesday, November 01, 2022

Peregrine Update: The Robotic Lander's Ride to the Moon Has Finally Received Its Engines!

Blue Origin's BE-4 Flight Engine #1 is rolled onto the floor at United Launch Alliance's rocket factory in Decatur, Alabama...while BE-4 Flight Engine #2 is already installed on the core stage of the first Vulcan rocket.
Tory Bruno / United Launch Alliance

Blue Origin Completes the Delivery of Flight Engines to ULA for Vulcan’s Initial Launch (News Release - October 31)

Blue Origin completed its delivery of the first BE-4 shipset for United Launch Alliance (ULA), shipping the engines to ULA’s factory in Decatur, Alabama after final acceptance testing.

Each BE-4 engine provides 550,000 pounds of thrust and has completed an extensive development program. This state-of-the-art engine will end reliance on Russian engines and power a new generation of U.S. launch vehicles. Dozens of these engines are now in production to support a large and growing demand for civil, commercial and defense launches.

“We’re excited to see ULA’s Vulcan fly,” said Bob Smith, CEO, Blue Origin. “The BE-4 is a great engine, and we’re proud of Team Blue for achieving this milestone as part of ULA’s team. It’s been a wonderful partnership, and this shipset is the first of many more to come.”

“We are very pleased to receive the first two engines for Vulcan’s inaugural flight,” said Tory Bruno, ULA president and CEO. “Development of this new engine is complete, and the performance of the engine is outstanding. It has been a great team effort working together with our partners at Blue Origin and we can’t wait to see Vulcan fly.”

About Blue Origin’s BE-4 Engine

Blue Origin’s BE-4 is the most powerful liquid natural gas (LNG) fueled, oxygen-rich staged combustion engine made in the U.S., powering the next generation of rocket launch vehicles. The engines are manufactured in Kent, Washington and in Huntsville, Alabama. They are tested in West Texas and at the historic 4670 Test Stand at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.

Source: Blue Origin

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Construction should soon be wrapping up on the Peregrine lunar lander at Astrobotic's headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Astrobotic

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