The New Shepard booster landing on the pad at Launch Site One.

BE-3

Making History

The BE-3 is the first new liquid hydrogen-fueled rocket engine to be developed for production in America in over a decade.

BE-3: Making History

On 23 November 2015, BE-3PM powered New Shepard’s Propulsion Module (PM) above the Kármán line and reignited for a soft landing on its history-making flight to space and back. That same engine repeated the feat four more times before we retired the propulsion module.

High-Performance Hydrogen Engine

Designed For First Stage Applications

At full throttle, BE-3PM generates 490 kN (110,000 lbf) thrust at sea level (over a million horsepower). When returning to Earth, it uniquely throttles down to 90 kN (20,000 lbf) enabling a gentle vertical landing on the pad.

Like the Space Shuttle’s main engines, BE-3PM uses high performing liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. BE-3PM is designed for operational reusability with minimal maintenance between flights. Our approach increases availability while lowering operating costs.

New Shepard lifts off from Launch Site One in West Texas

BE-3U Upper Stage Variant

We’re currently testing the newest member of the BE-3 family, BE-3U (Upper stage), optimized to operate in the vacuum of space. With a back-to-back turbine assembly and a larger nozzle, BE-3U generates 710 kN (160,000 lbf) thrust in vacuum.

Two BE-3U engines power New Glenn’s restartable upper stage, enabling the full range of customer missions including direct injection to geostationary orbit. Building on years of operational experience and rigorous testing, BE-3U will be one of the best understood rocket engines when it launches into space.