Introduction

Blue Origin, a private aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company, has made significant strides with the New Shepard rocket. However, the question arises whether making a two-stage cargo version of New Shepard could help Blue Origin compete in the orbital launch business before the New Glenn's readiness. This article explores the feasibility of such a proposal and why it wouldn't make sense.

The Challenges of Developing a Two-Stage Cargo Version of New Shepard

The New Shepard rocket is designed for suborbital spaceflight, primarily for crewed and cargo-demonstration missions. Converting it into a two-stage cargo version would involve significant challenges and inefficiencies. Let’s break down why developing this would be impractical.

Propellant and Engine Incompatibilities

The New Shepard rocket’s engines and propellant systems are optimized for atmospheric flight, not the upper stages required for orbital launches. The engines, such as the BE-3, are designed for efficient atmospheric operations and would not perform well in the vacuum of space. A two-stage design would necessitate a totally new upper stage or significant modifications to the engines and propellants, which would substantially increase development time and cost.

Design and Structural Inefficiency

The New Shepard’s first stage is designed to be small and efficient for its suborbital mission. For a two-stage cargo rocket, this first stage would need to be 4-10 times larger and more powerful to provide the necessary thrust for both atmospheric and orbital operations. The current design of the New Shepard’s first stage is not optimized for this purpose. Additionally, the second stage would require a design overhaul to handle the additional thrust and the structural and heat management demands of orbital flight.

Economic and Practical Considerations

The development of a two-stage cargo version of the New Shepard would be costly and time-consuming, much longer than the expected time to develop the New Glenn. Moreover, using hydrogen as the first stage fuel would not be a practical choice. While hydrogen provides high specific impulse, making it an excellent fuel for upper stages, it is not suitable for lower stages where high thrust is critical.

The lower specific impulse of methane means that a much larger and more expensive first stage is needed to achieve the necessary thrust. However, methane-based engines are smaller, cheaper, and lighter, requiring significantly less fuel for the same thrust-to-weight ratio. Methane also fits into smaller, less expensive tanks compared to hydrogen, further reducing costs.

Operational Concerns

The landing gear of the New Shepard is designed for suborbital operations, not for an orbital stage that would need to achieve and maintain orbital velocity. This landing gear would be entirely useless for the upper stage of a two-stage cargo rocket, making the entire project fundamentally inconsistent and impractical.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while the New Shepard rocket has demonstrated significant capability in suborbital missions, attempting to convert it into a two-stage cargo version for orbital operations would be a highly impractical endeavor. The challenges in engine design, propellant management, structural integrity, and economic feasibility make this approach far less viable than focusing on the development and launch of the New Glenn in the near future.