According to Sawyer Merritt, Blue Origin has announced significant upgrades to its New Glenn rocket, including propulsion enhancements and a new heavy-lift variant, aimed at improving payload capacity, launch cadence, and operational reliability (Source: Sawyer Merritt on Twitter). The BE-4 booster engines now target 4.5M lbf thrust, with individual engines aiming for 640,000 lbf later this year, while BE-3U upper-stage engines will increase to 400,000 lbf. Structural upgrades include a reusable fairing, updated tank design, and improved thermal protection, facilitating higher launch frequency and reduced turnaround times. The introduction of the New Glenn 9×4 variant—a super-heavy class rocket—brings over 70 metric tons to LEO and 14+ metric tons direct to GEO, meeting demand for high-lift missions. These advancements position Blue Origin as a strong competitor in commercial launch services and present new opportunities for AI-driven mission planning, payload optimization, and predictive maintenance in the aerospace industry.