Amazon gets 9 ULA satellite launch vehicles

Interesting
Seems that Bezos and ULA get closer in operation
For a program were Blue Origin had to provide the New Glenn vehicle...
 
This will cost Bezos an arm, a leg and a testicle, compared to Falcon 9 or BFR-Starship launches of Starlink... the Atlas V is a fine rocket, but so damn expensive...
 
Ok, so they will try launching their Kuiper constellation through "classic" rocketry - 10 times more expensive than SpaceX and not reusable.

Not sure it is a good idea...
 
From the article:
Amazon is also behind SpaceX because it does not have its own rocket, and no one in the industry can compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9 on price or launch cadence. The Falcon 9 rocket could launch as many as 60 times this year, and because SpaceX can reuse the first stage and payload fairing, the internal cost per launch is probably substantially less than $30 million. Amazon is likely paying, on average, at least three times as much per launch.
Click to expand...
 
The face of the ridicule has now a price tag.

I also wonder if that 200M$ bonus for their CEO has no relation into that. It seems a little bit cumbersome to have both events announced at such a close timing...
 
New Glenn ? the rocket that (just like Boeing's Starliner) will fly when SpaceX comparable systems either stop production or even retire for Starship ?
 
Archibald said:
when SpaceX comparable systems either stop production or even retire for Starship ?
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what to hell will build SpaceX then, Nova or Supernova class reusable rockets ?!
He had play with idea of Starship/superheavy with 18 meter diameter and four time more payload...
 
ULA Vulcan ~85m per launch
Ariane 62 ~85m per launch
Ariane 64 ~125m per launch
New Glenn (about the same ball park)

Assume an average of around $100m per launch, 83 launches would cost Bezos $8.3 billion.
Bezos current worth is somewhere north of $177 billion. So 8.3 billion is small potatoes....... :eek:

+ he's got to build the satellites.
 
This just in...

Amazon enters the Hypersonic Glide Vehicle market.

:)
 
jeffb said:
From the article:
Amazon is also behind SpaceX because it does not have its own rocket, and no one in the industry can compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9 on price or launch cadence. The Falcon 9 rocket could launch as many as 60 times this year, and because SpaceX can reuse the first stage and payload fairing, the internal cost per launch is probably substantially less than $30 million. Amazon is likely paying, on average, at least three times as much per launch.
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Amazon have billions to burn and a strict timeline by which to get their constellation up, and I imagine that timeline is more important than the cost. To be blunt I doubt that companies or individuals worth billions of dollars sweat a few 10s or even 100 millions here or there.
 
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I agree. So what if it's costing them more? Besides, if I had billions to play with, I'd make sure my toys make it to orbit before the other guy. On a more serious note, it's a good business strategy called 'beat the competition.'
 
jeffb said:
ULA Vulcan ~85m per launch
Ariane 62 ~85m per launch
Ariane 64 ~125m per launch
New Glenn (about the same ball park)

Assume an average of around $100m per launch, 83 launches would cost Bezos $8.3 billion.
Bezos current worth is somewhere north of $177 billion. So 8.3 billion is small potatoes....... :eek:

+ he's got to build the satellites.
Click to expand...

This is insane. Musk was to make rocketry cheap through SpaceX to launch Starlink.
Bezos answer is Kuiper, but since his Falcon 9 / Starship (New Glenn / new Armstrong) are so late, he has to go "classic and expensive and non reusable rocketry".
Yet,
in the end, Bezos big financial penalty in launch costs (the above $8.3 billion), is no problem, not significant because BOTH guys have $200 billion dollars in their pocket - orders of magnitude of 100 above this.

This make Bezos the savior of "classic rocketry" against SpaceX newspace. Arianespace included !

The irony is so strong there... at so many levels.

Musk "I will make rocketry cheaper and reusable to launch Starlink."

Bezos "I won't do that to launch Kuiper, I will instead use plain old expendable expensive classic rocketry.
What, it is more expensive ? By a handful of billions of dollars ? Elon, we both have $200 billion in our pockets. 10 billion is 20 times less, so I don't really cares. "

Musk to Arianespace "The Starlink - Starship alliance will eat you for lunch."

Arianespace "Whatif we launched Bezos Kuiper, since he is unable to gets his own rockets going ? He don't give a frack we are a more expensive than you - because he has as much if not more money than you."

Musk "My worst ennemy... oh you son of b***tch !"
 
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As it says the big loser in all of this seems to be the small launchers. I wonder if that’s why RL have decided to already go bigger with Neutron.
 
Whoever gets there first wins. There is no such thing as "classic" rocketry. You use whatever is available.
 
Another crazy whacky irony this week was Oneweb - the perenial bankrupt megaconstellation company that never dies - booking SpaceX flights after the Russians screwed them.

This means that Musk not only has Starlink but rival Oneweb: while the entire rocket world opposite of him just snatched Bezos Kuiper.

That "war of three megaconstellations" really is turning bizarro.
 
Archibald said:
Another crazy whacky irony this week was Oneweb - the perenial bankrupt megaconstellation company that never dies - booking SpaceX flights after the Russians screwed them.

This means that Musk not only has Starlink but rival Oneweb: while the entire rocket world opposite of him just snatched Bezos Kuiper.

That "war of three megaconstellations" really is turning bizarro.
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Those 3 megaconstellations are going to hold sway over a huge chunk of human communication in the future (+ all the 'housekeeping comms' for IOT tech, + all the surveillance streaming from people's TV sets etc)

Get in on the ground floor! These communication networks will probably be the next Facebook-style megacorps. No wonder these guys are willing to invest so much.
 
edwest2 said:
Whoever gets there first wins. There is no such thing as "classic" rocketry. You use whatever is available.
Click to expand...

Not quite. Somebody has done the math at NASAspaceflight.com and, to be fully honest, launching a megaconstellation with a mix of "classic rockets" - not Starship, even less Falcon 9R - is going to cost Bezos and Amazon a leg, an arm, and probably a testicle.

Bonfire of dollars ROTFL

Amazon Kuiper places largest commercial launch order with ULA, Arianespace, Blue

Amazon Kuiper places largest commercial launch order with ULA, Arianespace, Blue
forum.nasaspaceflight.com forum.nasaspaceflight.com

And the Jim Byeman is better than ever - look at page 4. Made me chuckle.
 
Bezos doesn't care. Amazon is effectively a country - right now. Without the need to conduct diplomacy, they just buy anything they need. That's the reality. No need to "predict" the future, you - Amazon - make it happen. You control it. You control access. You make sure guys like Elon Musk don't beat you at completing any project that crosses your mind. The Man who Bought the World? Yes, you're watching it happen. King Bezos I is in control. Only he can allow others access to certain technologies. He will, and is, creating the future - right now.
 

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