rocket engine

Lastly, one of Blue Origin’s biggest strengths has been its rocket engines, particularly the BE-4.

Anyone who has lived with large rocket engines understands that their awesome power is produced by machinery churning away at very high temperatures, pressures and velocities.

In December, the company aborted a test flight after its onboard computer that monitors the rocket engines lost connection.

The actual rocket engines don’t make a safe landing—they burn up and crash into the sea.

Image from a mid-October test firing of the E-2 rocket engine injector.

Both a rocket engine with a temperamental record and an airframe of revolutionary design and construction had to be proved safe.

After tests this January, it was decided to the fuel powering the rocket engine should have its rubber removed.

The RD-171, which would become the RD-180, was a more advanced liquid fuel rocket engine than anything we had.