Author Topic: Blue Origin : BE-3 and BE-3U Engine  (Read 124357 times)

Offline Lars_J

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Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #60 on: 12/04/2013 10:37 pm »
Is there any evidence that NASA will hold an open competition for the upper stage engine?

Not really. Then the usual suspects/contractors might risk losing a bid.

Offline QuantumG

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Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #61 on: 12/04/2013 10:40 pm »
Is there any evidence that NASA will hold an open competition for the upper stage engine?

Only that they said they would... not very convincing evidence, I grant you :)

Or maybe I'm just operating on outdated information here? Last I heard they were still talking about "a later competition" for a cryogenic upper stage.
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Offline Lurker Steve

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Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #62 on: 12/04/2013 11:54 pm »
Is there any evidence that NASA will hold an open competition for the upper stage engine?

Why would they ? Despite all the ramblings about putting 2 or 4 RL-10s in the SLS upper stage, isn't the official SLS upper stage based on the J-2X engine ? There is a RL-10 in the iCPS, with the "i" meaning interim.

Of course, it could be possible to "evolve" the SLS design, and update the upper stage with a new engine, but that would require a complete redesign again.

I'm more interesting in seeing Blue Origin fly this engine lots of times on their own rockets. Would this integrate directly into the New Shepard vehicle for sub-orbital flights ? Then a cluster of these into a separate LV for orbital flights ?

Offline QuantumG

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Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #63 on: 12/04/2013 11:59 pm »
Why would they ? Despite all the ramblings about putting 2 or 4 RL-10s in the SLS upper stage, isn't the official SLS upper stage based on the J-2X engine?

Nope. J-2X has been put on indefinite hold.

Quote from: Lurker Steve
There is a RL-10 in the iCPS, with the "i" meaning interim.

After that (if it happens at all), there's supposed to be an open competition.

Quote from: Lurker Steve
Of course, it could be possible to "evolve" the SLS design, and update the upper stage with a new engine, but that would require a complete redesign again.

I don't know how "complete" you're talking, but that's the plan.. don't make sense? Well, it is a government program.

Quote from: Lurker Steve
I'm more interesting in seeing Blue Origin fly this engine lots of times on their own rockets. Would this integrate directly into the New Shepard vehicle for sub-orbital flights ? Then a cluster of these into a separate LV for orbital flights ?

Me too.. but Blue Origin needs more cash than they're getting, and we're told it's not going to come from Bezos.
Human spaceflight is basically just LARPing now.

Offline yg1968

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Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #64 on: 12/05/2013 01:16 am »
Quote
BE-3 engine was fired at full power for two and a half minutes to mimic a launch, producing 110,000 pounds of thrust

http://www.space.com/23818-blue-origin-rocket-engine-test-video.html

The thrust of about four RL-10s.

Anyone else think maybe Blue Origin will be entering for the planned SLS cryogenic upper stage competition?

The video was also posted on NASAKennedy's YouTube channel:
« Last Edit: 12/05/2013 01:19 am by yg1968 »


Offline TrevorMonty

Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #66 on: 12/06/2013 08:26 pm »
They could build a 7-9 engine 1st stage(ie smaller F9) and offer it to Orbital. Would give orbital a locally produced engine. This would allow Blue Origin enter launch industry piece meal. BO may only sell right to use 1st stage, which would allow them to attempt recovery of it.

Between the two of them they could compete against F9 in smaller payloads. A 3core heavy could even take on Delta IV H and F9H.

Offline GraniteHound92

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Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #67 on: 05/05/2014 12:06 am »
They could build a 7-9 engine 1st stage(ie smaller F9) and offer it to Orbital. Would give orbital a locally produced engine. This would allow Blue Origin enter launch industry piece meal. BO may only sell right to use 1st stage, which would allow them to attempt recovery of it.

Between the two of them they could compete against F9 in smaller payloads. A 3core heavy could even take on Delta IV H and F9H.

Now that Orbital and ATK have merged, I'm sure they'll be going with an all solid booster.  However, I'd still love to see an Antares with a cluster of BE-3s.

Offline TrevorMonty

Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #68 on: 05/05/2014 12:20 am »
OrbitalATK might use BE3 for upper stage.

Offline GraniteHound92

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Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #69 on: 05/05/2014 12:34 am »
OrbitalATK might use BE3 for upper stage.

Is there evidence of that?  Has OrbitalATK indicated they might tap BO for an engine?  Has BO stated they'd be interested in giving up the BE-3 to another company?

Offline TrevorMonty

Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #70 on: 05/05/2014 01:20 am »
OrbitalATK might use BE3 for upper stage.

Is there evidence of that?  Has OrbitalATK indicated they might tap BO for an engine?  Has BO stated they'd be interested in giving up the BE-3 to another company?

From NASA Flight article on Stratolauncher.
"This upper stage has been baselined with two Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) RL-10 engines for the development and early flights of the rocket, pending development of a higher thrust LOX-Hydrogen unit."

As for whether OrbitalATK are interested in it, I don't know. At 110,000lbs BE-3 is more powerful than 2 RL-10s and most likely cheaper.

Quote from BO engineer.
“In parallel we'll be developing our orbital space vehicle, with first flights targeted for the 2018 timeframe. That will be developmental flights of our orbital launch vehicle. [Now] we're developing this engine for our New Shepard system and our orbital system, but we think it has applicability to both government and other commercial launch systems as well,” Meyerson concludes.

Offline Prober

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Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #71 on: 05/05/2014 12:01 pm »
OrbitalATK might use BE3 for upper stage.

Is there evidence of that?  Has OrbitalATK indicated they might tap BO for an engine?  Has BO stated they'd be interested in giving up the BE-3 to another company?

From NASA Flight article on Stratolauncher.
"This upper stage has been baselined with two Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) RL-10 engines for the development and early flights of the rocket, pending development of a higher thrust LOX-Hydrogen unit."

As for whether OrbitalATK are interested in it, I don't know. At 110,000lbs BE-3 is more powerful than 2 RL-10s and most likely cheaper.

Quote from BO engineer.
“In parallel we'll be developing our orbital space vehicle, with first flights targeted for the 2018 timeframe. That will be developmental flights of our orbital launch vehicle. [Now] we're developing this engine for our New Shepard system and our orbital system, but we think it has applicability to both government and other commercial launch systems as well,” Meyerson concludes.

If the information true;   ULA should look at this engine for a Common Core Centaur upgrade.
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Offline TrevorMonty

Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #72 on: 05/14/2014 03:12 am »
ULA were developing a new engine with XCOR but if BE3 gets some flight time they may consider.

Looks like BO are planning to flying something this year. I think it will be a sub orbital RLV.

 http://m.technologyreview.com/news/527131/intergalactic-entrepreneurs-prepare-for-blast-off/

Offline Joel

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Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #73 on: 05/14/2014 12:20 pm »
ULA were developing a new engine with XCOR but if BE3 gets some flight time they may consider.

Looks like BO are planning to flying something this year. I think it will be a sub orbital RLV.

 http://m.technologyreview.com/news/527131/intergalactic-entrepreneurs-prepare-for-blast-off/

You mean next year (2015), right? Here is the relevant section from the above link:
Quote
The director of business development for Blue Origin, Bretton Alexander, announced his company’s intention to begin test flights of its first full-scale vehicle within the next year. “We have not publicly started selling rides in space as others have,” said Alexander during his question-and-answer session. “But that is our plan to do that, and we look forward to doing that, hopefully soon.”

Blue Origin is perhaps the most secretive of the commercial spaceflight companies, typically revealing little of its progress toward the services it plans to offer: suborbital manned spaceflight and, later, orbital flight. Like Virgin, it was founded by a wealthy entrepreneur, in this case Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The company, which is headquartered in Kent, Washington, has so far conducted at least one supersonic test flight and a test of its escape rocket system, both at its West Texas test center.

Offline Proponent

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Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #74 on: 09/17/2014 10:09 am »
Do we have any hints as to what range of mixture ratios the BE-3 uses?  I'm wondering, for example, whether the flame color in the videos in this thread might provide a clue.  I wonder whether system optimization might lead to a relatively lean mixture for the BE-3's intended application.
« Last Edit: 09/17/2014 10:11 am by Proponent »

Offline daveklingler

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Online catdlr

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Offline Prober

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Offline Aeneas

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Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #78 on: 06/22/2020 11:09 am »
Does anybody know more technical details of BE-3/U like TWR, Isp, oxidizer ratio?

Offline whitelancer64

Re: Blue Origin's BE-3 Engine
« Reply #79 on: 02/18/2021 05:35 pm »
What is the size of the BE3 compared to the BE4?
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