Blue Origin's new rocket takes on SpaceX in the Moon race
Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, has announced its New Glenn 9x4 rocket—a serious challenger to Elon Musk's SpaceX.
With nine engines powering the first stage and four on the second, this upgrade is designed to eventually allow Blue Origin to launch much heavier payloads into orbit.
The timing isn't random: both companies are battling for NASA's Artemis contracts to send humans back to the Moon.
Bigger rockets, bigger ambitions
The New Glenn 9x4 can haul over 70 metric tons—way up from the earlier model's limit—making it suitable for lunar missions and satellite launches.
Blue Origin plans to use both its new and previous rockets for various missions.
Meanwhile, SpaceX has pushed back its next Starship launch to late 2028, adding more fuel to this high-stakes space rivalry.