---
title: 'BE-4 Valve Failed! Blue Origin Reveals Why New Glenn Exploded During Test — Elon Reacts'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=4oMWy6R9t0M'
video_id: '4oMWy6R9t0M'
date: 2026-08-10
duration_sec: 740
---

# BE-4 Valve Failed! Blue Origin Reveals Why New Glenn Exploded During Test — Elon Reacts

> Source: [BE-4 Valve Failed! Blue Origin Reveals Why New Glenn Exploded During Test — Elon Reacts](https://youtube.com/watch?v=4oMWy6R9t0M)

## Summary

Blue Origin's CEO Dave Limp revealed the cause of the New Glenn explosion during a May test: a failure in the main oxygen valve of a BE-4 engine. The company is implementing valve modifications, rethinking its launchpad configuration, and aiming to return to flight by the end of the year despite pressure from NASA, commercial, and military commitments.

### Key Points

- **New Glenn grounded since May explosion** [00:22] — The powerful New Glenn vehicle has been out of service since a late-May explosion during testing. Blue Origin has been working to address issues with the engine, launch pad, and vehicle.
- **Root cause: main oxygen valve on BE-4** [01:36] — Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp stated the anomaly originated at the main oxygen valve on one of the BE-4 engines, confirmed by hardware recovery and inspections. The valve controls liquid oxygen flow into the engine.
- **Possible failure modes** [02:02] — Common valve problems include getting stuck, leaks, material damage, design tolerances, freezing, incorrect timing, or a combination. The issue likely originated between factory checks and reaching the pad, possibly from vibrations or weather changes.
- **Explosion mechanism** [02:46] — Failure on the oxygen side can ignite the engine with a small spark, spreading to other components. Liquid oxygen accelerates destruction of piping and aft structure, with spilled fuel mixing and causing a larger explosion.
- **Test conditions amplified disaster** [03:43] — Because the rocket was stationary on the pad during the test, energy released on the spot made the incident the biggest test disaster in recent years.
- **Cautious testing approach** [04:10] — Blue Origin will conduct component-level and engine hot fire tests first, then the entire engine, to understand the failure mode and inform mitigations.
- **Valve modifications planned** [04:39] — Small modifications to the valve will be retrofitted to existing engines. Updated hardware is being manufactured in parallel, with fault tree analysis ongoing. Changes are happening this month.
- **Healthy supply of rocket hardware** [05:30] — Dave Limp confirmed the booster and three GS2s at the integration facility look good, suggesting Blue Origin can move quickly toward another launch once the engine issue is resolved.
- **Launchpad damage and recovery phases** [06:08] — The lightning tower, launch tower, and transport erector suffered significant damage. Tank farm, water tower, and integration facility were unaffected. Recovery was divided into three phases; phases one and two completed in 9 days.
- **New hybrid stacking configuration** [07:13] — Blue Origin is moving from a complex horizontal stacking system to a hybrid approach: booster and upper stage stacked horizontally, then moved with a simpler transporter and lifted vertically by a crane at the pad.
- **Return to flight by end of year?** [09:15] — The big question is whether New Glenn will return to operation by the end of this year. Blue Origin is determined to resume launches, with technical opportunities and infrastructure largely intact.
- **NASA Artemis pressure** [10:11] — New Glenn is the primary rocket for launching the uncrewed Blue Moon Mark 1 lander. NASA's Jared Isaacman considers New Glenn plan A, and NASA supports upper stage testing at Stennis Space Center.
- **Commercial and military stakes** [10:53] — Blue Origin plans to launch Amazon LEO satellites (Project Kuiper). LC-36 is the only launch platform, so downtime means lost revenue. The military market adds scheduling pressure.
- **SpaceX competition** [11:23] — New Glenn competes with Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. Blue Origin suspended New Shepard tourism to focus on New Glenn. A prolonged delay would widen the gap with SpaceX as Starship advances.

## Transcript

probably haven't heard anything about Blue Origin in a while, but surprisingly, the company's CEO just announced the results of an investigation into an explosion incident with the engine valve at the center. So,
how serious was the problem? Will they be back soon? Let's find out on today's episode of Great SpaceX. This year has arguably been a forgettable one for a powerful vehicle like New Glenn. The explosion during testing in late May has
forced it to remain out of service until now. So, when can it return to operation? Since the incident, Blue Origin has consistently aimed for a This is certainly related to addressing issues with the engine, launch pad, and
vehicle. Interestingly, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp just provided an update more than 2 months after the incident. After that received a response from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and that received a response from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk himself,
saying, "Hope you get back to flight soon." Will Blue Origin be able to do what Elon Musk said? I believe we need to watch closely to find out. So, already to avoid missing any updates related to SpaceX and the aerospace
industry, including updates on Blue Origin. One of the factors in knowing when it can return is identifying the problem. And after more than 2 months, Blue Origin has released an update. Specifically, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp
stated the anomaly originated at the main oxygen valve on one of the BE-4 engines, which was later confirmed by a hardware recovery and inspections. It's the valve again, one of the most difficult problems to deal with related
to rockets and engines. This is the engine's main oxygen valve, which controls the flow of liquid oxygen into the engine. Blue Origin hasn't said how it failed, but common problems include the valve getting stuck when opening or
closing, leaks, material damage, design tolerances, freezing due to low temperatures, incorrect timing, or a combination of these factors. This problem likely originated before testing, specifically in the period
after factory checks until it reached the pad, including the movement and vertical stacking process. The underlying cause could be vibrations during movement or sudden changes in weather conditions. Such problems could
have led to the valve opening at the wrong time, resulting in an error. A misalignment with the methane valve causes an incorrect fuel mixture ratio and a larger fire, or these problems caused the valve to fail due to the
extreme pressure and temperature conditions of the hot fire test. When it fails, because it's on the oxygen side, which is the combustion supporting fuel, a small spark, even if later extinguished, can still ignite the
engine, and the problem quickly spreads to other engine components. The engine is the most vulnerable to localized damage, regardless of where the problem occurs. Combined with liquid oxygen, it quickly spreads, destroying the piping
and aft section structure. When such a major problem occurs, areas outside the initial explosion are also susceptible, leading to large amounts of liquid oxygen and methane spilling out and mixing together, becoming a catalyst for
the explosion in the engine and aft section, spreading to areas above. Up above, both the booster and upper stage are fueled, and these are the points where the problem continues to spread. Another important factor is the fact
that this was a test, meaning the rocket remained stationary on the launch pad and didn't fly away, caused the energy to be released on the spot, making the incident even bigger and creating the biggest test disaster in recent years.
But, perhaps the problem identification isn't over yet. In the same update, Limp said extensive component level and engine hot fire tests have been
conducted to better understand the failure mode and inform mitigations. Well, this time Blue Origin is choosing a cautious approach. They will conduct individual tests first starting with each part of the engine, then the entire
engine. This aims to see where the problem might originate, how it occurs, and the extent of its impact in order to find solutions. That will be accompanied by changes. Dave Limp points out the path forward is clear. We're making
small modifications to the valve that can be quickly quickly retrofitted to existing engines. We're manufacturing the updated hardware, which will be parallel, we're working through the remaining fault tree analysis. It's
clear that measures are being taken regarding the valve. For existing engines, the valve will be removed, modified, and reinstalled. For engines currently in production, updates based on the applied analysis will create
radical changes to completely eliminate the problem. And all of this is happening this month. Of course, the analysis won't stop. Along with the work on the engines, Blue Origin will continue to complete the analysis of the
remaining factors that could lead to the problem in order to continue with further upgrades. But, besides the engine, Blue Origin both the vehicle and the launchpad. Starting with the vehicle, it appears
Blue Origin still has several prototypes available for future flights. In a post-flight update, Dave Limp stated, "The booster, never tell me the odds, and the three GS2s that were on site in the integration facility also look
good." That suggests Blue Origin has a relatively healthy supply of rocket hardware, which could allow the company to move quickly toward another launch once the engine issue is resolved. And because the New Glenn booster is
designed to be reusable, Blue Origin can also place greater focus on preparing That brings us to what could be the bigger challenge, the launchpad. Following the May incident, the rocket
itself was completely destroyed while the lightning tower, launch tower, and transport erector all suffered significant damage. Fortunately, several critical systems escaped relatively unscathed. The tank farm, water tower,
and integration facility were unaffected. While the support tower suffered only minor damage and remained repairable. Blue Origin divided the recovery effort into three separate phases. Phase one focused on protecting
the site while phase two dealt with site recovery and cleanup. Both phases were completed within just 9 days of the incident. By mid-June, that allowed the company to move into phase three, which focuses on CONOPS
focuses on CONOPS design and major repairs. That work is still underway today. The support tower was completely dismantled at the end of July so it could undergo repairs and renovation. And it's expected to be
re-stacked soon. But Blue Origin isn't simply rebuilding everything exactly as making changes to how New Glenn will be transported and stacked vertically. entire vehicle, including the booster, upper stage, and payload, would be
stacked horizontally inside the integration facility. It would then be transferred to a transporter erector, a massive specialized machine responsible and raising it into its vertical position. The system also included
umbilical connections linking the vehicle to the launchpad. While this approach works, it's complex, difficult to operate, and not exactly something you want to dismantle and rebuild every time an emergency decides to ruin your
day. That's particularly important after an incident like the one in May. So, Blue Origin is moving toward a hybrid horizontal and vertical configuration. The booster and upper stage will still be assembled and stacked horizontally
inside the integration facility. But instead of relying on the complicated will be moved using a simpler transporter. Once it reaches the launchpad, a large crane will lift the rocket and place it into its vertical
position. The payload and fairing can then be installed afterward. Overall, this approach is con- siderably simpler. It eliminates the need for a highly complex transporter erector, reduces preparation time, and shifts more of the
itself. More importantly, the configuration is designed to remain useful over the long term, including for both the 7x2 and 9x4 versions of New Glenn. And that means Blue Origin isn't simply repairing the damage. It's taking
the opportunity to rethink the entire operating configuration and hopefully make the system faster, simpler, and easier to maintain. As a result, progress at the site continues to accelerate. Blue Origin and Dave Limp
have been regularly sharing new images and videos showing the reconstruction effort, with the latest updates even including a visit from Jeff Bezos to the construction site. There have also been several notable developments that I may
episode. These include the de-stacking of the two tower modules, the raising of the launch bridge in early July, and the removal of the launch table in mid-July. So, with progress continuing on the engine, vehicle, and launchpad, the big
question is now becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Do you think New Glenn will return to operation by the end of this year? Let me know with a yes or a no in the comment section down below. So, why is
Blue Origin so determined to resume launches by the end of this year? How important is that? First, Blue Origin has a favorable technical opportunity the New Glenn return to flight to take a
year and a half, but critical launchpad infrastructure remains largely intact, rocket hardware. More importantly, Blue Origin isn't rebuilding the same configuration. It's moving directly to a new concept that was already prepared.
That helps explain why the company confidently expects to resume flights began immediately after the incident, missing that target would be a significant setback. Second is the pressure from NASA's Artemis program.
New Glenn is the primary rocket for launching the uncrewed Blue Moon Mark 1, which will pave the way for future crewed missions. Without Mark 1 flying soon, Blue Origin and NASA lose valuable data needed for future lunar missions,
position. NASA is counting on Blue Origin's lander for lunar rovers, base-building equipment, and eventual crewed operations. Administrator Jared Isaacman still considers New Glenn plan A. NASA has even supported the program
by allowing upper stage testing at Stennis Space Center. Then, there's the commercial side. Blue Origin plans to launch Amazon LEO satellites, formerly Project Kuiper, along with other payloads. LC-36 is currently New Glenn's
only launch platform, so losing access means lost revenue and potentially damaged customer confidence. Blue Origin is also in its early stages of external funding, making a rapid return to flight important for maintaining momentum and
attracting investors. The military market adds even more pressure. Blue National Security Space Launch is a major achievement, but military and scheduling requirements. And throughout all this, there's one
dominant competitor, SpaceX. New Glenn is intended to compete with Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy on launch frequency and cost. Blue Origin has already suspended New Shepard space tourism since the beginning of the year to concentrate
resources on New Glenn and its lunar projects. If New Glenn remains grounded, the gap with SpaceX will only widen, especially as Starship continues advancing toward full operational capability. Blue Origin therefore can't
afford a prolonged delay. All these factors are forcing the company to accelerate its recovery, not for show, but because this is a critical moment position in the commercial space industry. In any case, folks, if you
enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to leave a like, subscribe to Great SpaceX, never miss the latest updates on SpaceX and humanity's exciting journey into the future of space exploration. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you in the next
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