Blue Origin detailed plans for a larger version of its New Glenn rocket, describing a path toward a broader family of orbital launch vehicles similar to SpaceX’s Falcon line. The company announced the development effort on Thursday, days after completing New Glenn’s second mission.

The new rocket is named New Glenn 9x4. The designation refers to nine engines on its first stage and four engines on its second stage. Each stage adds two engines compared with the configuration used on the current New Glenn.

Blue Origin said the 9x4 vehicle represents the next step toward a super-heavy class launcher. The company also disclosed other upgrades intended to expand future mission capabilities. It said the two New Glenn variants will operate at the same time to give customers additional launch options.

Blue Origin said the combined fleet is intended to support missions for satellite networks, lunar operations, deep space exploration and national security needs, including programs such as Golden Dome. The company described these areas as key drivers of demand for larger, more capable launch systems.

Several U.S. launch providers are pursuing similar developments. Rocket Lab, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance have projects underway or in early design phases for larger rockets built to deploy heavier payloads and bigger groups of satellites.

Blue Origin has spent roughly a decade and billions of dollars on New Glenn. The rocket stands 29 stories tall and features a reusable first stage designed to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon series and the company’s larger Starship system, which remains under development.

Dave Limp, Blue Origin’s chief executive, released digital renderings of the 9x4 design on X. The images show a vehicle taller than Saturn V, the 17-story rocket that launched U.S. astronauts to the moon during the Apollo program. The illustrations also show a larger payload fairing and a noticeably taller profile than the original New Glenn.

Blue Origin’s announcement comes after the November 8 launch of a New Glenn rocket carrying NASA’s EscaPADE mission from Cape Canaveral. The mission sent two satellites on a path toward Mars.