What is the current planned status of the New Glenn upper stage for initial cargo missions?
Answer
Expendable
In the current plans outlined for New Glenn's initial cargo missions, which focus on placing large satellite constellations into orbit, the upper stage is designed to remain expendable. This means that after its firing sequence is complete, the upper stage is not recovered or reused. For a future crewed configuration to become viable, the upper stage would either need significant modification to enable reusability, or a dedicated, separate crew module would need to be developed and integrated atop it, all while adhering to strict crewed flight standards.
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