Blue Origin Reaches Milestone in BE-4 Rocket Engine Development

Blue Origin said Sept. 30 that it has completed more than 100 developmental tests of its BE-4 engine, which the company is building both for United Launch Alliance and its own vehicle.

The company said in a statement that the staged-combustion tests, performed at the company's test site in West Texas, provided "measurable performance data" about the engine for its upcoming critical design review. That data covered various elements of the engine's design and its manufacturing techniques, including the use of 3-D printing.