Blue Origin and New SHEPARD RLV

[Flyaway]

Blue Origin signs Sky Perfect JSAT as fourth New Glenn launch customer

http://spacenews.com/blue-origin-signs-sky-perfect-jsat-as-fourth-new-glenn-launch-customer/

 

[fredymac]

Latest BE-4 engine test running at 65% thrust and doing a "mixture ratio sweep" over a 2 minute duration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp0WgodhR7s

 

[sferrin]

What's all the mist traveling along the ground? ???

 

[Moose]

What's all the mist traveling along the ground? ???

Water deluge system.

 

[Flyaway]

Blue Origin switches engines for New Glenn second stage

WASHINGTON — Blue Origin quietly changed the design of its New Glenn rocket around the beginning of the year in order to hold to a 2020 first launch and increase the range of orbital missions the rocket can complete.

Although the company’s website still shows New Glenn with a second stage powered by a reignitable version of the BE-4 it is developing to power the main stage of both New Glenn and United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, that configuration is now out of date.

A Blue Origin executive told SpaceNews the company is shelving development of a vacuum-optimized version of BE-4 and will instead use vacuum-optimized versions of flight-proven BE-3 engines for New Glenn’s second stage and optional third stage.

http://spacenews.com/blue-origin-switches-engines-for-new-glenn-second-stage/

 

[Machdiamond]

What's all the mist traveling along the ground? ???

Water deluge system.

You do not have water deluge on test pads where the flame is not impinging on anything.

Mist hugging the ground like that is typical of supercool air with humidity condensing around tubing with liquid oxygen supply to the engine.

 

[fredymac]

I don’t know if has been mentioned in this thread that Blue Origin is competing for the next generation EELV contract. This pits Blue Origin against ULA which now finds itself in the awkward situation of using the engine developed by a direct competitor. Whether this sways ULA into favoring Aerojet for the engine remains to be seen. The Air Force will downselect to 3 companies this summer and then 2 finalists in 2019. Spacex is almost a certain winner so Blue Origin, ULA, and Orbital will be fighting it out for the other spot.

Blue Origin’s orbital rocket in the running to receive U.S. military investment
https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/04/13/blue-origins-orbital-rocket-in-the-running-to-receive-u-s-military-investment/
"Blue Origin submitted a proposal late last year in what’s expected to be a four-way competition for U.S. Air Force funding to support development of new orbital-class rockets, a further step taken by the Jeff Bezos-owned company to break into the military launch market, industry officials said...........

The Air Force plans to award at least three of the companies a tranche of government funding this summer. Each launch provider will be required to supply their own multimillion-dollar investment from internal funds.

In late 2019, the Air Force is expected to select two companies to proceed into the final phase of the public-private partnership, which will include procurement of launch services for military payloads."

 

[sferrin]

I don’t know if has been mentioned in this thread that Blue Origin is competing for the next generation EELV contract. This pits Blue Origin against ULA which now finds itself in the awkward situation of using the engine developed by a direct competitor.

Not unusual. ULA is also using solid strap-on boosters from it's direct competitor Orbital/ATK/Northrop Grumman.

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/988472791975555072?s=20

An FAA temporary flight restriction suggests Blue Origin will be conducting another New Shepard suborbital test flight as soon as tomorrow: (link: http://bit.ly/2qQjhIG) bit.ly/2qQjhIG

 

[Flyaway]

Launch preparations are underway for New Shepard’s 8th test flight, as we continue our progress toward human spaceflight. Currently targeting Sunday 4/29 with launch window opening up at 830am CDT. Livestream info to come. @BlueOrigin #GradatimFerociter

https://twitter.com/jeffbezos/status/989851170545029120

 

[Michel Van]

Fight 8 went well almost to hight of 350000 ft.
next test dummy "Skywalker" were paying customers experiments on board.

Interesting was following point in Presentation:
New Shephard overhaul time form Launch to Launch is 14 hours and need only 30 engineers

New Glenn will made first launch end 2020 and will be Man-rated
its Landing platform is actually a Ship, a moving Ship !
According Blue Origin this offers better stably for the platform, despite rough seas.

 

[Flyaway]

New Shepherd Flight 8 - Main events of the launch and landing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4wtPx9wqzc

New Shepard reaches space on eighth test flight

http://spacenews.com/new-shepard-reaches-space-on-eighth-test-flight/

 

[TomcatViP]

uncut

https://youtu.be/MAEfOg5r2r4

 

[Flyaway]

Jeff Bezos and his Blue Origin space venture go all in on moon settlements

LOS ANGELES — Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos says his Blue Origin space venture will work with NASA as well as the European Space Agency to create a settlement on the moon.

And even if Blue Origin can’t strike public-private partnerships, Bezos will do what needs to be done to make it so, he said here at the International Space Development Conference on Friday night.

https://youtu.be/YDcYdR0Sav8

https://www.geekwire.com/2018/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-space-venture-go-moon-settlements/

 

[Flyaway]

Blue Origin plans to start selling suborbital spaceflight tickets next year

Blue Origin expects to start flying people on its New Shepard suborbital vehicle “soon” and start selling tickets for commercial flights next year, a company executive said June 19.

Speaking at the Amazon Web Services Public Sector Summit here, as the keynote of a half-day track on earth and space applications, Blue Origin Senior Vice President Rob Meyerson offered a few updates on the development of the company’s suborbital vehicle.

“We plan to start flying our first test passengers soon,” he said after showing a video of a previous New Shepard flight at the company’s West Texas test site. All of the New Shepard flights to date have been without people on board, but the company has said in the past it would fly its personnel on the vehicle in later tests.

http://spacenews.com/blue-origin-plans-to-start-selling-suborbital-spaceflight-tickets-next-year/

 

[Flyaway]

New article from SN.

Blue Origin to offer dual launch with New Glenn after fifth mission

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Blue Origin will begin flying two customers on the same New Glenn rocket after the launch vehicle has performed five missions with solo customers, according to Ted McFarland, Blue Origin’s commercial director of Asia-Pacific business.

“Our first five are all dedicated missions as we release margin and prove out our operational reusability concept,” McFarland said July 4 at the APSAT 2018 conference here. “But starting from launch six on, we will have a dual-manifesting capability.”

https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-to-offer-dual-launch-with-new-glenn-after-fifth-mission/

 

[Michel Van]

Interesting News is this Article
Blue Origin is changing New Glenn upper stage engine and Fuel
instead of a Vacuum adapted Be-4, they will have the Be-3U with Hydrogen / Oxygen propellants

https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-switches-engines-for-new-glenn-second-stage/

 

[Flyaway]

Launch tomorrow slated for 9:00 am CT / 14:00 UTC. Live webcast begins at T-20 minutes on (link: http://BlueOrigin.com) BlueOrigin.com.

https://mobile.twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1019310807929114625

 

[fredymac]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J45xjLnxiaQ

 

[Michel Van]

the stuff uncut and pure, enjoy ;D

https://youtu.be/NRDhdHRyyjc

Seems they installed a reaction control system on Capsule
to stabilized it flight after Solid rocket motor fired
the Frist Crew escape test was very wild ride for Capsule

https://youtu.be/KPEKrixDaL0?t=62

 

[Deltafan]

Thanks. It's allways fascinating

 

[Flyaway]

Blue Origin performs high-altitude test of crew escape motor

Blue Origin’s suborbital New Shepard booster launched Wednesday on an uncrewed test flight, sending a capsule on a brief jaunt into space over West Texas to demonstrate a key safety feature for space tourists and scientists riding on the company’s future rockets.

https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/07/18/blue-origin-new-shepard-mission-9/

 

[fredymac]

Fully outfitted capsule.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9GoLD49sQ0

 

[Grey Havoc]

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/13/morgan-stanley-jeff-bezos-amazon-shares-bring-muscle-to-space.html

 

[Michel Van]

Blue Origin quietly
updated there New Glenn website https://www.blueorigin.com/new-glenn
and publish there New Glenn Payload Gide

to find a PDF copy look here:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=41146.msg1880487#msg1880487

also Blue Shepard Payload Gide
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/540c8aace4b08e28fe4ab77a/t/57f28604cd0f681fb4ac56ba/1475511829614/Blue+Origin+Payload+Users+Guide-revB+%281%29.pdf

 

[Flyaway]

Blue Origin gearing up for next New Shepard test flight

In a statement Dec. 17, the company said the next New Shepard flight, designated NS-10, will take place Dec. 18 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern from its West Texas test site that has hosted all previous New Shepard tests. The flight, like several past flights, will be webcast. The statement came after the publication by the Federal Aviation Administration of restricted airspace around the company’s launch site for a three-day period starting Dec. 18.

The NS-10 flight will use the same propulsion module and crew capsule as the July flight, but is intended to be a more standard suborbital spaceflight. The vehicle will be carrying nine experiments provided by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, the company said. As with all previous flights, there will be no people on this New Shepard mission, but the company noted that the research payloads play a “role in perfecting technology for a future human presence in space.” A second booster recently arrived at the site that the company says will be used for future crewed flights.

 

[Archibald]

10 flights in 3 years... Why so slow? money can't be an issue, ont with bezos...

 

[martinbayer]

10 flights in 3 years... Why so slow? money can't be an issue, ont with bezos...

Hello Archibald,

I really believe he is taking it slow because he is smart, calculating (and, being an aerospace engineer myself, I consider that a definite virtue ;D), and fairly risk averse. Unlike some other ego driven billionaire maniac rocket jockeys that shall not be named here and constantly feel the need to prove themselves in more or less meaningful headline grabbing stunts like building ad hoc submarines for cave rescues, he really adheres to his motto "gradatim ferociter", i.e. 'step by step, ferociously' - a very European attitude, if I might say so as a German myself ;D. If I had to guess, he simply really wants to make sure his system works reliably before he puts it all out and risks getting egg on his face, metaphorically speaking...

Wishing him all the very best of luck,

Martin

 

[fredymac]

Or you could simply appreciate the deeds someone achieves to break the 40 year hiatus on rocket development without feeling the need to virtue signal on their public persona. In their specific efforts towards transforming the economics of space travel, Musk/Bezos/Branson/Allen are doing my bidding albeit for their own individual motives and it doesn’t cost me a dime. I can wish all of them luck no matter how fast or slow, brazen or timid, they do it.

 

[sferrin]

10 flights in 3 years... Why so slow? money can't be an issue, ont with bezos...

Hello Archibald,

I really believe he is taking it slow because he is smart, calculating (and, being an aerospace engineer myself, I consider that a definite virtue ;D), and fairly risk averse. Unlike some other ego driven billionaire maniac rocket jockeys that shall not be named here and constantly feel the need to prove themselves in more or less meaningful headline grabbing stunts like building ad hoc submarines for cave rescues,

The results speak for themselves. SpaceX has flown a heavy lift rocket (and returned most of it), has another reusable rocket in serial production, and has effectively upended the industry. Bezos is still playing with toys by comparison. As for being an "ego driven maniac" Elon Musk couldn't be further from that description. Now if you're talking about Richard Branson. . .

 

[Michel Van]

Bezos is still playing with toys by comparison.

Blue Origin motto is "Gradatim Ferociter", Latin for "Step by Step, Ferociously"
and Jeff Bezos is stepping Ferociously into future, he spend over $500 million already in Blue Origin and New Shepard program
this will rise to $2.5 billion on New Glenn launcher ready for testing in 2021
Oh by the way one of biggest rocket since Saturn V and first stage is reusable !
also in interview Bezos mention the New Glenn as medium launcher and BO planning bigger Launcher (New Armstrong a Nova class ? )

As for being an "ego driven maniac" Elon Musk couldn't be further from that description.

I don't care if Musk is a "ego driven maniac" He turning the world upside down in a Good Way and is on way into History books As Edison or Ford of the 21 century.
oh by the Way, The Boring Company news
https://youtu.be/6t8BiLK0mbE

Now if you're talking about Richard Branson. . .

So far i know, Virgin Galactic hat after Space Ship One, had very bad luck and defacto restart R&D for Space Ship Two, follow by deadly accident do Pilot error
but for moment Virgin Galactic manage to get back on tracks !
https://youtu.be/h8T9mVkGh3s

 

[sferrin]

Bezos is still playing with toys by comparison.

Blue Origin motto is "Gradatim Ferociter", Latin for "Step by Step, Ferociously"
and Jeff Bezos is stepping Ferociously into future, he spend over $500 million already in Blue Origin and New Shepard program
this will rise to $2.5 billion on New Glenn launcher ready for testing in 2021
Oh by the way one of biggest rocket since Saturn V and first stage is reusable !
also in interview Bezos mention the New Glenn as medium launcher and BO planning bigger Launcher (New Armstrong a Nova class ? )

Until New Glenn flies and lands... And Falcon Heavy still has more lift capacity, and has already flown. Add to that the numerous flights (and reflights) of Falcon 9.

As for New Armstrong, has anybody heard any details of this other than it's name and "bigger than New Glenn"?

 

[Michel Van]

As for New Armstrong, has anybody heard any details of this other than it's name and "bigger than New Glenn"?

Except that one sentence in a interview of Jeff Bezos, nothing.
in The NASA Spaceflight Forum not sponsored by nasa came up with name "New Armstrong" following a fierce debate.

but that is Blue Origin, just giving information if needed, nothing more.
in that point of view is Elon Musk a pure chatterbox...

 

[djfawcett]

10 flights in 3 years... Why so slow? money can't be an issue, ont with bezos...

Hello Archibald,

I really believe he is taking it slow because he is smart, calculating (and, being an aerospace engineer myself, I consider that a definite virtue ;D), and fairly risk averse. Unlike some other ego driven billionaire maniac rocket jockeys that shall not be named here and constantly feel the need to prove themselves in more or less meaningful headline grabbing stunts like building ad hoc submarines for cave rescues, he really adheres to his motto "gradatim ferociter", i.e. 'step by step, ferociously' - a very European attitude, if I might say so as a German myself ;D. If I had to guess, he simply really wants to make sure his system works reliably before he puts it all out and risks getting egg on his face, metaphorically speaking...

Wishing him all the very best of luck,

Martin

I simply do not understand why you would "take a shot" at a company that has single handed exposed the financial waste heretofore found in the launch industry by developing and IMPLEMENTING technology not previously used. You would be far better suited by learning from their efforts rather than criticizing. I would hate to see what the cost and timeline would have been if NASA or ESA decided to develop the same technology when SpaceX started. They would now just be starting the CDR (critical design review) after spend multi-billions of dollars or Euros.

 

[martinbayer]

10 flights in 3 years... Why so slow? money can't be an issue, ont with bezos...

Hello Archibald,

I really believe he is taking it slow because he is smart, calculating (and, being an aerospace engineer myself, I consider that a definite virtue ;D), and fairly risk averse. Unlike some other ego driven billionaire maniac rocket jockeys that shall not be named here and constantly feel the need to prove themselves in more or less meaningful headline grabbing stunts like building ad hoc submarines for cave rescues, he really adheres to his motto "gradatim ferociter", i.e. 'step by step, ferociously' - a very European attitude, if I might say so as a German myself ;D. If I had to guess, he simply really wants to make sure his system works reliably before he puts it all out and risks getting egg on his face, metaphorically speaking...

Wishing him all the very best of luck,

Martin

I simply do not understand why you would "take a shot" at a company that has single handed exposed the financial waste heretofore found in the launch industry by developing and IMPLEMENTING technology not previously used. You would be far better suited by learning from their efforts rather than criticizing. I would hate to see what the cost and timeline would have been if NASA or ESA decided to develop the same technology when SpaceX started. They would now just be starting the CDR (critical design review) after spend multi-billions of dollars or Euros.

If you carefully reread my quote above, it will become obvious to you that I was not in any way, shape or form taking a shot at SpaceX - I am thoroughly impressed by their awe inspiring progress and tremendous achievements to date and wholeheartedly wish them the very best of luck and success in all their endeavors in the future as well. What I *was* indeed taking a shot at is the shall we say mercurial personality of their founder. I recommend you read "Elon Musk" by Ashlee Vance some time, if you haven't done so already.

 

[djfawcett]

10 flights in 3 years... Why so slow? money can't be an issue, ont with bezos...

Hello Archibald,

I really believe he is taking it slow because he is smart, calculating (and, being an aerospace engineer myself, I consider that a definite virtue ;D), and fairly risk averse. Unlike some other ego driven billionaire maniac rocket jockeys that shall not be named here and constantly feel the need to prove themselves in more or less meaningful headline grabbing stunts like building ad hoc submarines for cave rescues, he really adheres to his motto "gradatim ferociter", i.e. 'step by step, ferociously' - a very European attitude, if I might say so as a German myself ;D. If I had to guess, he simply really wants to make sure his system works reliably before he puts it all out and risks getting egg on his face, metaphorically speaking...

Wishing him all the very best of luck,

Martin

I simply do not understand why you would "take a shot" at a company that has single handed exposed the financial waste heretofore found in the launch industry by developing and IMPLEMENTING technology not previously used. You would be far better suited by learning from their efforts rather than criticizing. I would hate to see what the cost and timeline would have been if NASA or ESA decided to develop the same technology when SpaceX started. They would now just be starting the CDR (critical design review) after spend multi-billions of dollars or Euros.

If you carefully reread my quote above, it will become obvious to you that I was not in any way, shape or form taking a shot at SpaceX - I am thoroughly impressed by their awe inspiring progress and tremendous achievements to date and wholeheartedly wish them the very best of luck and success in all their endeavors in the future as well. What I *was* indeed taking a shot at is the shall we say mercurial personality of their founder. I recommend you read "Elon Musk" by Ashlee Vance some time, if you haven't done so already.

Whether you like Musk's persona or not is of no relevance. What is relevant is that he was and is the driving force behind SpaceX. Without him, SpaceX would not be in exsistence today, nor would the technologies be employed as they currently are. Furthermore, he is a breath of fresh air is a stuffy grey-haired industry. Somebody had to turn the launch industry on it's ear and he did it.

 

[sferrin]

I recommend you read "Elon Musk" by Ashlee Vance some time, if you haven't done so already.

I reckon you could learn more about the man by watching the Joe Rogan podcast than by reading a "tell all" book written by a 3rd party.

 

[martinbayer]

I recommend you read "Elon Musk" by Ashlee Vance some time, if you haven't done so already.

I reckon you could learn more about the man by watching the Joe Rogan podcast than by reading a "tell all" book written by a 3rd party.

Was for example his behavior against employees and spouses discussed in this podcast? If not, I think I'll continue to rely on other independent sources than just the man himself.

 

[martinbayer]

Whether you like Musk's persona or not is of no relevance.

You're absolutely right that my views on this topic are utterly unimportant. The official reactions that some of his antics appear to have triggered for example in NASA and the SEC are however a different matter altogether. Once again, at times he is doing himself and the causes he is admirably trying to advance no favors with his foibles.

 

[sferrin]

I recommend you read "Elon Musk" by Ashlee Vance some time, if you haven't done so already.

I reckon you could learn more about the man by watching the Joe Rogan podcast than by reading a "tell all" book written by a 3rd party.

Was for example his behavior against employees and spouses discussed in this podcast? If not, I think I'll continue to rely on other independent sources than just the man himself.

Because somebody trying to make coin off a tell-all is going to be objective?