BE-7
{{short description|Large staged combustion rocket engine by Blue Origin}}
{{infobox rocket engine
| name = Blue Engine 7
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| country_of_origin = United States
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| manufacturer = Blue Origin
| purpose = Aerospace
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| status = Active
| type = Liquid
| oxidiser = LOX
| fuel = {{chem2|LH2|link=liquid hydrogen}}
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| thrust = {{Convert|10,000|lbf|N|abbr=unit}}
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| used_in = Blue Moon
| notes =
| throttle_range = 40–100%
}}
The Blue Engine 7 is a liquid hydrogen/oxygen dual expander cycle engine for use with the Blue Moon family of lunar landers. The company utilizes additive manufacturing in the development process and it is meant to generate {{Convert|10,000|lbf|N|abbr=unit}} of thrust, serving as both the ascent and descent engines for Blue Moon.{{Cite web |last=Kuhr |first=Jack |date=2024-03-06 |title=Blue Origin's 2025 Lunar Landing Goal |url=https://payloadspace.com/blue-origins-2025-lunar-landing-goal/ |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=Payload |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Parkins |first=Alison |date=2023-10-04 |title=Alumnus builds the 'infrastructure of the future' at Blue Origin |url=https://www.uwplatt.edu/news/alumnus-builds-infrastructure-future-blue-origin |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=UW-Platteville News |language=en}}
History
Following the commencement of the Artemis Program the company sought to independently develop a lunar lander, the 'MK1' and accompanying engine. The BE-7 test phase began in 2019 with additional hot fire testing in 2020 at the Marshall Space Flight Center.{{Cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |date=2020-12-04 |title=Blue Origin continues work on BE-7 lunar lander engine |url=https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-continues-work-on-be-7-lunar-lander-engine/ |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}} Following selection for NASA's second Human Landing System, which Blue Origin calls 'MK2', the company announced that the BE-7 engine will be used for both landers.{{Cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |date=2023-05-19 |title=Technical strengths and lower cost led NASA to select Blue Origin lander |url=https://spacenews.com/technical-strengths-and-lower-cost-led-nasa-to-select-blue-origin-lander/ |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}} A demonstration flight of the MK1, planned for 2025 is on track and will debut the BE-7 engine.{{Cite web |last=Kuhr |first=Jack |date=2024-03-06 |title=Blue Origin's 2025 Lunar Landing Goal |url=https://payloadspace.com/blue-origins-2025-lunar-landing-goal/ |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=Payload |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=U.S. Sets Stage For Economic Expansion Into Cislunar Space {{!}} Aviation Week Network |url=https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/commercial-space/us-sets-stage-economic-expansion-cislunar-space |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=aviationweek.com}} In 2024, the company announced vacuum cell testing was being conducted on the engine at the Edwards Air Force Base.{{Cite web |title=Here's a BE-7 engine headed into vacuum cell testing in a simulated space-like environment at Air Force Research Laboratory, Edwards Air Force Base, CA. BE-7 generates 10,000 lbf of thrust and powers our Blue Moon MK1 and MK2 lunar landers. |url=https://x.com/blueorigin/status/1803789703004430524?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet&mx=2 }}
Technical specifications
The BE-7 utilizes liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants in a dual expander cycle generating up to 10,000 pounds-force of thrust which can be throttled to 2,000 pounds-force. The company hopes that the propellants can, in the future, utilize ISRU and be produced from ice in the polar regions of the moon. It will also be used to power the transfer element, the Cislunar Transporter in development by Lockheed Martin.{{Cite web |title=Lockheed Martin on Blue Origin's National Team Selected to Develop Human Lunar Lander |url=https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2023-05-19-Lockheed-Martin-on-Blue-Origins-National-Team-Selected-to-Develop-Human-Lunar-Lander |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=Media - Lockheed Martin}}
See also
- Lunar Module Descent Engine - used on the Apollo Lunar Module's Descent Stage
- Lunar Module Ascent Engine - used on the Apollo Lunar Module's Ascent Stage
- RL10 - Ubiquitous LOX/LH2 expander cycle engine
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{URL| https://www.blueorigin.com/engines/be-7}}
{{Rocket engines}}
{{Blue Origin}}
Category:Blue Origin rocket engines
Category:Rocket engines using methane propellant