The Tool Desk
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What launch services do SpaceX and Blue Origin offer?
NASA’s Launch Services Program lists SpaceX’s Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Starship services, as well as Blue Origin’s New Glenn. This is a comparison of documented launch-service availability, not a claim that every vehicle or configuration is equally mature or ready for any mission.
SpaceX: Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Starship
NASA describes Falcon 9 as a reusable, two-stage rocket for carrying people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. Falcon Heavy uses three Falcon 9 cores and, according to NASA’s Launch Services Program, can lift nearly 64 metric tons to orbit. NASA added Starship to SpaceX’s Launch Services II (NLS II) offerings in 2025; it describes Starship/Super Heavy as a fully reusable transportation system designed for crew and cargo missions to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. That contract availability and design description do not establish that every planned Starship mission is operationally available today. NASA’s Launch Services Program and its Starship contract announcement provide the agency’s descriptions.
Blue Origin: New Glenn
NASA describes New Glenn as a heavy-lift orbital rocket with seven BE-4 engines and a first stage designed for a minimum of 25 flights. That is a design target, not evidence that the stage has completed 25 flights. Blue Origin describes the vehicle as having a reusable first stage, two restartable BE-3U second-stage engines and a seven-meter fairing. NASA added New Glenn to NLS II in 2020 and added the distinct New Glenn 9×4 launch service on September 29, 2026, for potential future NASA missions. The latter action establishes contract availability, not a completed flight or a demonstrated performance figure for the 9×4 service. See NASA’s original New Glenn contract announcement and its 2026 NLS II update.
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How do New Glenn and Falcon compare on capacity?
Payload capacity depends on destination and vehicle configuration. A rocket’s maximum figure for low Earth orbit (LEO) is not interchangeable with its capacity for geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), and neither figure alone establishes whether a particular spacecraft fits or what it would cost to launch.
| Service or vehicle | Published capacity | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Falcon 9 | 22,000 kg to LEO; 8,300 kg to GTO; 4,020 kg to Mars (SpaceX capability sheet) | SpaceX says these are maximum performance figures for a fully expendable vehicle. |
| Falcon Heavy | Nearly 64 metric tons to orbit (NASA Launch Services Program) | NASA’s cited figure is an orbital-lift figure; it is not a like-for-like GTO or Mars comparison with the Falcon 9 figures. |
| New Glenn | 45 metric tons to LEO; more than 13 metric tons to GTO (NASA Launch Services Program) | These are NASA-listed vehicle figures, not performance figures specifically confirmed for New Glenn 9×4. |
SpaceX’s figures come from its Falcon 9 capability sheet; NASA’s figures are on its Launch Services Program page. Compare the same destination and the actual configuration being offered before treating capacities as equivalent.
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Fairing size can matter as much as mass
Blue Origin states that New Glenn’s seven-meter fairing has twice the volume of smaller five-meter-class fairings. That larger envelope may suit spacecraft with broad dimensions or multi-payload arrangements, even when their mass is within another rocket’s capacity. Fairing volume does not by itself establish lower launch cost or prove that a particular payload will fit; the payload’s dimensions and mission integration requirements still matter.
Which launch provider is cheaper?
The public price information is asymmetric. SpaceX’s undated capability sheet, accessed October 7, 2026, lists a $74 million standard payment plan through 2026 for Falcon 9 missions carrying up to 5.5 metric tons to standard GTO. This is a specific reference point, not a universal price for Falcon 9, and the sheet’s maximum performance figures assume a fully expendable vehicle. The official Blue Origin materials cited here do not state a directly comparable New Glenn per-launch price.
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Those facts do not support a reliable claim that one company is cheaper. A useful quote comparison would need the same destination, payload, vehicle configuration, schedule, integration work and contract terms. Public materials also do not establish comparable realized cost per kilogram, refurbishment expense, reuse frequency or operating margins.
How do SpaceX and Blue Origin make money from launches?
Both companies sell launch capacity to institutional customers and compete for government work. The public evidence supports describing their procurement routes and contract access; it does not reveal their full company-wide finances or establish realized launch economics.
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NASA missions through NLS II
NLS II is a multi-award framework under which eligible launch providers can compete for NASA missions. NASA says its ordering period runs through June 2030 and its overall performance period through December 2032. Being listed makes a service available for potential future tasking; it is not a promise of a specific mission award or revenue amount. NASA’s 2025 Starship and 2026 New Glenn 9×4 announcements document additions to SpaceX’s and Blue Origin’s NLS II offerings.
National-security launch contracts
The U.S. Space Force’s April 4, 2025 announcement lists anticipated NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 contract values of $5,923,580,297 for SpaceX and $2,386,234,812 for Blue Origin. These are anticipated program-level values for firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contracts—not prices for one launch, guaranteed sales, realized revenue, profit or evidence that either provider is more cost-efficient. The announcement is available from the U.S. Space Force.
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Reuse is a design feature, not a public cost comparison
NASA describes Falcon 9 as reusable; Blue Origin describes New Glenn’s first stage as reusable and says it is designed for a minimum of 25 flights. Reuse can be relevant to how a launch business is designed, but a reusable architecture alone does not show how often hardware has flown, how much refurbishment costs, or whether reuse reduces a provider’s realized price. The cited official information does not supply comparable operating data for those questions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should a customer compare before choosing?
A launch buyer should start with the mission rather than the company name. The relevant comparison is the service and configuration that can carry the spacecraft to its required destination on acceptable terms.
- Destination and orbit: Match the payload figure to LEO, GTO, GEO, lunar or interplanetary requirements; do not compare different destinations as if they were equivalent.
- Payload mass and dimensions: Check both mass and fairing envelope. New Glenn’s stated seven-meter fairing is a notable dimension, but actual compatibility depends on the spacecraft and integration requirements.
- Vehicle and configuration: Distinguish Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Starship, New Glenn and New Glenn 9×4. A capability or contract listing for one is not proof of another configuration’s performance.
- Readiness and mission assurance: Check current vehicle and launch-site status as well as the mission’s schedule. The sources cited here do not provide a complete, equivalent reliability analysis across the providers.
- Commercial terms: Compare a mission-specific quote and its included services, not a headline figure from another destination or configuration. Government contract totals are not per-launch prices.
New Glenn’s 2026 return-to-flight status
Blue Origin reported that a significant integrated-vehicle hotfire anomaly occurred at Launch Complex 36 on May 28, 2026. In its return-to-flight update, the company said the lightning tower, transporter-erector and hydraulic cylinders were lost; cleanup was complete, while major repairs and work on the operations concept were in progress. CEO Dave Limp said, “We will return to flight by the end of this year.” That was Blue Origin’s stated target in the update, not confirmation that a return flight occurred. The cited update does not establish whether the target was met after publication, so readers assessing a current launch opportunity should check Blue Origin’s status update for later information.
What the public comparison can—and cannot—show
The available official information supports a comparison of service portfolios, selected payload and fairing specifications, contract access and one qualified Falcon 9 price reference. It does not establish a current like-for-like New Glenn price, realized lifecycle costs, comparable reuse rates or a direct reliability ranking based on equivalent missions and exposure. Those limits matter: a vehicle’s published capacity, a contract’s anticipated value and a company’s reuse design are different kinds of evidence, and none should be presented as a substitute for a mission-specific cost and readiness comparison.
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