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The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Blue Origin agreed to upgrade a government rocket test cell at Edwards Air Force Base, California, for testing Blue Origin’s BE-7 lunar-lander engine. The 15-year cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) was signed on December 11, 2019, and announced on January 28, 2020. AFRL later reported that the upgraded facility had enabled an initial BE-7 vacuum test.
What the Air Force–Blue Origin agreement covered
The CRADA set out a public-private research and infrastructure partnership, not an announced Air Force purchase of BE-7 engines. Blue Origin funded capital improvements to an existing AFRL facility; AFRL brought the test site and propulsion-testing expertise. The 2020 announcement said that future development, qualification and production-acceptance testing would be conducted under separate commercial test agreements funded by Blue Origin. AFRL’s announcement did not state the investment’s value or say that the facility would be reserved exclusively for Blue Origin.
The arrangement was intended to help Blue Origin test BE-7 while improving a government asset that could serve other users. Its 15-year term describes the agreement, not 15 years of continuous engine testing.
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Where the test site is and what changed
The site is Test Area 1-42 at the AFRL Rocket Lab on Edwards Air Force Base in California. It is a repurposed government test facility, not a new Blue Origin-owned site. AFRL’s FY2024 annual report says the test cell had originally been designed for large solid-motor upper stages and was upgraded with cryogenic propellant systems suited to BE-7 testing.
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The 2020 plan called for liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen capability, along with other improvements for testing in a simulated space-like environment. Hydrogen and oxygen are cryogenic propellants, so testing with them requires specialized storage, feed and safety systems in addition to the test cell and vacuum capability. AFRL’s later report confirms that cryogenic systems were installed as part of the upgrade, though the sources do not describe the systems’ detailed specifications.
What BE-7 is—and why vacuum testing matters
AFRL’s 2020 announcement described BE-7 as a liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen, dual-expander-cycle engine producing approximately 10,000 pounds of thrust. Blue Origin designed it for in-space use, including its Blue Moon lunar lander. The cited sources do not provide detailed performance figures such as specific impulse or chamber pressure, or establish restart capability or flight heritage.
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A lander engine intended to operate in space must be evaluated in conditions that differ from sea-level operation. A vacuum test lets engineers assess operation with the surrounding pressure reduced to simulate the space environment. Such tests can support engine development and, as work progresses, qualification and production-acceptance testing; an initial vacuum test alone does not establish those later milestones.
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AFRL’s FY2024 annual report, on page 115, says the upgraded facility enabled AFRL and Blue Origin to complete an initial vacuum test of BE-7. It describes the work as a 15-year collaboration and the upgraded test cell as potentially useful for BE-7 and other cryogenic vacuum engines.
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The report establishes that an initial test took place, not that BE-7 completed qualification or was certified for flight. It does not give the test date, duration, measured performance, number of tests, anomaly history or qualification status. Nor do these sources establish the site’s current testing tempo.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the partnership related to Blue Moon and Artemis
The 2020 announcement connected BE-7 to Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander and NASA’s Artemis ambitions. It referred to a crewed lunar mission “as early as 2024”; that was a projection made in 2020, not a current schedule or evidence that the mission occurred on that date. AFRL’s FY2024 report says BE-7 supports NASA’s human-landing-system program, but it does not provide a current Blue Moon schedule, a flight-readiness date for the engine or a NASA deployment date.
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- SAFETY FIRST, FUN ALWAYS: Our rockets are designed to be used with the NAR (National Association of Rocketry) model-rocket safety code. Always ensure you have an appropriate launch site, stand back at least 15 ft., insert the safety key, issue a countdown, and then you can let your rocket fly!
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What the deal means—and what it does not
For Blue Origin, the partnership provided access to specialized government test infrastructure while it funded improvements rather than building all of that capability itself. For AFRL, the upgrade created a cryogenic vacuum-testing resource with potential uses beyond BE-7. The arrangement therefore paired a company’s engine-development needs with a facility investment that could benefit future government and commercial propulsion work.
That shared benefit should not be confused with a procurement award: the announcement did not say the Air Force bought the engine, selected it for an operational mission or paid for Blue Origin’s capital improvements. The available sources also do not establish the improvement cost, exclusive access, full engine qualification, or any specific test failure or accident at Edwards.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Edwards Air Force Base: AFRL and Blue Origin partner on test site for BE-7 lunar lander engine development (2020 announcement).
- AFRL FY2024 Annual Report, page 115 (later facility and test update).
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