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The New Shepard booster has the ability to hover since it is really the size of a second stage and has the throttling capability that allows for hovering. You can tell that it works under a whole different landing process compared to what SpaceX does. A lot of people are assuming that since BO can pull off a landing with the New Shepard that it can do the same with the New Glenn. The New Glenn is more like the Falcon 9 and will not be able to hover but will need to be much more accurate and perform a similar style landing as F9. So the lessons learned with the New Shepard will be helpful but BO is going to have to create an entirely new landing program for New Glenn when it finally gets built. Landing on a moving target on the ocean, as we know, is also a lot different from landing on a pad on land.
So it isn't going to be as easy as some people are assuming.
I agree. It's the difference between SpaceX's Grasshopper experiments and landing the F9, which still took a lot of boosters before they got one right.
Yeah, big difference. I wonder if the difference is funding levels or engineering talent, or both.
Bezos is funding BO entirely on his own, and in the process selling about $1B of Amazon stock every year. Elon is famous for not liquidating any Tesla stock (SpaceX, like BO, does not have public stock), instead borrowing against its value to raise capital. Still, the lions share of new investment in SpaceX is external. And unlike BO, SpaceX has been generating profits to fund its own operations for quite a while now. Even today, as SpaceX is much bigger than BO, it probably has a much lower requirement for more equity capital since it is generating profits.
From a business plan perspective, BO kinda sucks. Yeah, their motto is to go slow, etc. but they haven’t created anything commercially valuable yet. Meanwhile, SpaceX was laser focused on building something commercial useful as soon as possible so that it could fund operations.
In a way, it is an example of how money makes you stupid, or at least lazy. Elon didn’t have anywhere near the money that Bezos had and thus had to get to profitability as soon as possible. Bezos can fund BO with no profits for 50 years if he so chose.
The real question, IMHO, is if the availability of two or three (BO, FH, BFR), competing heavy lift systems at significantly lower cost than present will spark a new space market. Apart from government and maybe a few communications, I don't believe there are very many, if any, current payloads that need the lift that is coming.
I'm very doubtful that more than a few exploration missions will exist, and if they do, it will be SLS.
I'm very doubtful that more than a few exploration missions will exist, and if they do, it will be SLS.
BO is the richest man on the planet's hobby. He gets to pick it up and play with it at his pleasure. So there is no rush to do anything or achieve anything. One day soon New Shepard will take some wealthy people on a nice joy ride into suborbital space. BO has created a new rocket engine, BE-4, and is now testing it. It will likely be used on ULA's Vulcan rocket. Some day the company will create the New Glenn and it might do some similar things to the Falcon 9. Bezos has said he will spend $1 billion a year to make BO great but he could change his mind on that on a whim. Unlikely, but possible. The company has a new manufacturing facility at the Cape that will probably open its doors sometime next year or possibly 2019. I'm not expecting to see a New Glenn launch until 2020.
So we'll see what actually happens with orbital rockets. Hopefully a lot and hopefully successfully. Anytime soon? I'm not expecting it.
Here is an incredible video of the inside of the new capsule looking out the big windows for the whole flight.
So we'll see what actually happens with orbital rockets. Hopefully a lot and hopefully successfully. Anytime soon? I'm not expecting it.
Here is an incredible video of the inside of the new capsule looking out the big windows for the whole flight.
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If they had a gee meter in frame, you might find it more interesting.Eh. Now that I’ve seen the movie, I don’t think I need to see it live
adiggs
Well-Known Member
Eh. Now that I’ve seen the movie, I don’t think I need to see it live
Heh - and my immediate reaction is that was a brilliant marketing video. Unless SpaceX is doing the same thing, but also going somewhere, that looks like the ultimate amusement park ride, except the line around the building will be adults with their checkbook out wanting to go again.
Exciting times we live in.
I love the passenger's name: Mannequin Skywalker. It reminded me of one of the Grasshopper tests, which carried Johnny Cash strapped to the outside, to the tune of "Ring of Fire". (No, not the real Johnny Cash... Duhmmy Cash.)
hockeythug
Active Member
I still get somewhat nervous in airplanes at 35,000 ft even with a relaxant. Safe to say 330,000 isn't gonna be for me.
Nikxice
Active Member
Live launch video on the linked page below for the next New Shepard suborbital test flight, Sunday 4/29/18 @ 9:45 EDT. This launch will use the same booster from BO's last flight in December. Wishing them the best. Perhaps Jeff will be wearing the first space tourist company crown sometime in the next 12 months. After 18 years in the business, the richest guy in the world might like to start using someone else's money to pay bills.
Blue Origin preps for suborbital test flight Sunday – Spaceflight Now
Blue Origin preps for suborbital test flight Sunday – Spaceflight Now
While it is a small achievement for BO, but if JB tries to tom-tom that and somehow tries to project as a coup against SpaceX - he is going to fall flat on his face.
Brando
Active Member
You want to work for Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk?
side note:
The world's richest man who sells *sugar* and can't pay his workers a living wage (even in Canada they get food stamps).
Or the other guy who builds *sugar* and the UAW fights to get his workers to pay dues?
you shall know him by how he treats the least among you
internet search: web services to NSA
Jeff better at making money, for sure.
side note:
The world's richest man who sells *sugar* and can't pay his workers a living wage (even in Canada they get food stamps).
Or the other guy who builds *sugar* and the UAW fights to get his workers to pay dues?
you shall know him by how he treats the least among you
internet search: web services to NSA
Jeff better at making money, for sure.
swaltner
Active Member
Launch was postponed a couple hours - now @ 12:42 EDT. Webcast should go live in about 10 minutes.
N5329K
Active Member
Impressive single engine performance on the booster, but I do wonder about redundancy for a crewed launch.
Robin
Robin
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