SMRTR Science & EngineeringFeb 8, 2026Ars Technica

To reuse or not reuse—the eternal debate of New Glenn's second stage reignites

SMRTR summary

Blue Origin has wrestled for 15 years over whether to make New Glenn's second stage reusable, similar to SpaceX's abandoned pursuit of Falcon 9 upper stage recovery. The company previously explored "Project Jarvis," a reusable stainless-steel upper stage, but shelved it before New Glenn's upcoming 2025 debut. A new job posting for "Reusable Upper Stage Development" director suggests Blue Origin may be reviving reusability plans for the larger rocket's upper stage.

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