New Glenn vs Falcon Heavy
These are the two American heavy-lift rockets competing for the same commercial and national security payloads. Falcon Heavy has years of flight heritage; New Glenn counters with a giant 7-meter fairing and a first stage designed from day one for 25 flights.
Rockets5 min
New Glenn
New Glenn is Blue Origin's heavy-lift rocket with a reusable first stage. It reached orbit in January 2025 and landed its booster on its second flight.
Rockets5 min
Falcon Heavy
Falcon Heavy is SpaceX's three-core heavy-lift rocket, flown 12 times since its 2018 debut with launches including Psyche, Europa Clipper, and GOES-U.
Key differences
- Experience: Falcon Heavy has flown 12 missions since 2018; New Glenn has flown twice, and its third vehicle was destroyed in a May 2026 ground test explosion.
- Fairing volume: New Glenn's 7 m fairing offers roughly double the volume of Falcon Heavy's 5.2 m fairing, a real advantage for station modules and satellite stacks.
- Payload: Falcon Heavy lifts more fully expendable (63.8 t vs 45 t to LEO), but New Glenn never flies expendable; its booster always attempts recovery.
- Engines: New Glenn's BE-4s burn liquefied natural gas; Falcon Heavy's 27 Merlins burn kerosene, a mature but lower-efficiency choice.
Side-by-side specifications
| New Glenn | Falcon Heavy | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Blue Origin | SpaceX |
| Country | United States | United States |
| First flight | January 16, 2025 | February 6, 2018 |
| Height | 98 m | 70 m |
| Diameter | 7 m | - |
| Payload to LEO | 45,000 kg | 63,800 kg (expendable) |
| Stages | 2 | 2, plus 2 side boosters |
| Status | Grounded after May 2026 ground test explosion | Active |
| Total launches | 2 | 12 (as of June 2026) |
| Width | - | 12.2 m |
| Mass | - | 1,420,788 kg |
Figures come from each article's infobox; see the articles for sources and context.