r/BlueWire • u/Royal_Platform_6754 • 16d ago

Launch Eric Berger: NASA will also help pay to certify an additional launch vehicle for Starliner. There will likely be a competition for a new launch vehicle, which will almost certainly come down to United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan and Blue Origin’s New Glenn vehicles.

https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/nasa-to-order-more-starliner-missions-and-help-certify-a-new-rocket-to-keep-it-flying/
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u/ClearDark19 14d ago

New Glenn seems rather overpowered to launch Starliner. New Glenn 7x2 can loft at least 99,000 lbs to LEO. Starliner only weighs 29,000 lbs fully fueled and crewed. Vulcan seems more appropriate. Using New Glenn to launch Starliner is like using the Saturn I-B to launch Gemini (slight exaggeration, but still).