Blue Origin, the private aerospace manufacturer founded by Jeff Bezos, has been grappling with a debate that has been ongoing for over 15 years: whether to reuse its upper stage, known as GS2. The company's decision on this matter could have significant implications for its launch business and its ability to compete with other major players in the industry.
The debate centers around the economics of flying reusable upper stages. SpaceX, which has also been trading the benefits of reusability, has found that recovering its second stage costs less than $15 million per launch, according to CEO Elon Musk. This is a significant decrease from the estimated cost of manufacturing a new upper stage.
Blue Origin, on the other hand, has struggled with whether to invest in developing a reusable upper stage or to seek out ways to cut down production costs. The company's first-generation New Glenn rocket has been praised for its performance, but it also comes with a hefty price tag.
In 2025, Blue Origin launched its maiden flight with the New Glenn rocket and successfully landed the first stage on an ocean platform. However, this came at a cost of over $100 million to manufacture the first stage alone. The company plans to reuse this stage in future launches, but it is expected to fly super-expensive upper stages for now.
The pressure on Blue Origin to find a solution to the reusable upper stage conundrum has increased with the planned upgrade to its 9×4 version of the rocket. This new design will use four BE-3U engines and is expected to be more expensive to manufacture than the current upper stage.
In light of this, Blue Origin recently posted a job description for a director of "Reusable Upper Stage Development." The salary range for this position is up to $284,430.30, suggesting that the company is taking the debate seriously.
The new director will work with the Vice President of New Glenn GS2PA and support the execution of a lean engineering initiative to incrementally develop a reusable upper stage. This could be a major breakthrough in the development of reusable rocket technology, but it also comes with its own set of challenges.
The cost of reusing upper stages is still unknown, and SpaceX is still experimenting with thermal protection for its Starship vehicle's return from orbital velocities. However, if Blue Origin can overcome these hurdles, it could significantly reduce its launch costs and gain a competitive edge in the market.
Ultimately, the debate over whether to reuse GS2 is one that Blue Origin must navigate carefully. With significant financial and reputational stakes at play, the company will need to weigh the benefits of reusability against the challenges it presents.
The debate centers around the economics of flying reusable upper stages. SpaceX, which has also been trading the benefits of reusability, has found that recovering its second stage costs less than $15 million per launch, according to CEO Elon Musk. This is a significant decrease from the estimated cost of manufacturing a new upper stage.
Blue Origin, on the other hand, has struggled with whether to invest in developing a reusable upper stage or to seek out ways to cut down production costs. The company's first-generation New Glenn rocket has been praised for its performance, but it also comes with a hefty price tag.
In 2025, Blue Origin launched its maiden flight with the New Glenn rocket and successfully landed the first stage on an ocean platform. However, this came at a cost of over $100 million to manufacture the first stage alone. The company plans to reuse this stage in future launches, but it is expected to fly super-expensive upper stages for now.
The pressure on Blue Origin to find a solution to the reusable upper stage conundrum has increased with the planned upgrade to its 9×4 version of the rocket. This new design will use four BE-3U engines and is expected to be more expensive to manufacture than the current upper stage.
In light of this, Blue Origin recently posted a job description for a director of "Reusable Upper Stage Development." The salary range for this position is up to $284,430.30, suggesting that the company is taking the debate seriously.
The new director will work with the Vice President of New Glenn GS2PA and support the execution of a lean engineering initiative to incrementally develop a reusable upper stage. This could be a major breakthrough in the development of reusable rocket technology, but it also comes with its own set of challenges.
The cost of reusing upper stages is still unknown, and SpaceX is still experimenting with thermal protection for its Starship vehicle's return from orbital velocities. However, if Blue Origin can overcome these hurdles, it could significantly reduce its launch costs and gain a competitive edge in the market.
Ultimately, the debate over whether to reuse GS2 is one that Blue Origin must navigate carefully. With significant financial and reputational stakes at play, the company will need to weigh the benefits of reusability against the challenges it presents.