NASA and Blue Origin signed an agreement to conduct second stage hot fire testing for the New Glenn rocket at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Testing is targeted to begin this fall and directly supports Artemis lunar missions planned for 2027 and beyond. The B-2 test stand, built in the 1960s to test Saturn V stages during Apollo, will now be used to validate New Glenn's second stage before the rocket launches lunar landers and crew missions.
The New Glenn's second stage is powered by two BE-3 engines, each producing 200,000 pounds of thrust in vacuum and burning liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellant. NASA will provide engineers, equipment, and facility services to prepare the B-2 stand for testing, along with dedicated workspace and expertise from prior propulsion testing campaigns. The stand has a proven track record for lunar mission hardware, having tested Saturn V stages and more recently the SLS core stage ahead of Artemis I.
The agreement aligns with NASA's broader Artemis architecture. Artemis III, a multi-launch campaign, will test rendezvous and docking between NASA's Orion spacecraft and commercial human landing systems from Blue Origin and SpaceX in low Earth orbit. Blue Origin's New Glenn will also launch the Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance lander this fall to deliver NASA payloads to the lunar South Pole's Shackleton Connecting Ridge, reducing landing risk for crewed Artemis missions planned for 2028.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the partnership as strengthening the industrial base and maintaining U.S. space leadership. Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp emphasized the company's shared commitment to returning Americans to the Moon. The collaboration reflects NASA's strategy of leveraging commercial partners and existing infrastructure to accelerate Artemis program objectives while supporting high-skilled jobs in Mississippi.