Author Topic: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread  (Read 1241735 times)

Offline Rummy

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2140 on: 07/12/2017 03:46 pm »
Both FH and NG are going to be reusable from the very get go.

Odd that actual existing/flying RLVs like F9 may have to go through special hoops for certifying for launch, meanwhile DARPA is paying Boeing money to develop an RLV which will almost certainly never be used for orbital launch (just a test bed).

It's logical. Why would a RLV have an identical certification process to an ELV?

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2141 on: 07/17/2017 06:43 am »
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Delighted to give the first annual Buzz Aldrin Space Innovation Award to @JeffBezos and @BlueOrigin
https://twitter.com/therealbuzz/status/886778900193431552

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Huge thanks from the whole @BlueOrigin team, Buzz
https://twitter.com/jeffbezos/status/886779328096116736

I posted about Jeff's speech last night: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=41539.msg1703010#msg1703010

Offline Robotbeat

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2142 on: 07/17/2017 12:32 pm »
Now I really have the feeling that Blue Origin no longer works in the aerospace industry, but for museums. What's wrong with BO these days? Half of the year is gone and not even a single flight, only exhibitions, museums and awards.
The only person Bezos has to answer to is himself, courtesy of Bezos having near unlimited funding available from his personal wealth. As a result Bezos is the sole person deciding:
A. What Blue does.
B. When Blue does that.

You repeatedly voicing your frustration over this serves no purpose.
Taxpayers helped fund BE-3, the engine for New Shepard. And also, if I'm not mistaken, the abort system used for New Shepard. And, indirectly, BE-3U which is part of New Glenn.

Taxpayers indirectly helped fund BE-4.

Taxpayers in Alabama are also helping to fund BE-4 production.

But honestly, I do feel we, as a community, should shut off any more awards to Bezos until Blue Origin accomplishes more things, maybe even flying payloads (including, perhaps, self-loading payloads i.e. People) for customers. :D

EDIT: For the record, Bezos can take his own sweet time. They're still doing good things, and I'm not going to demand anything from them.
« Last Edit: 07/17/2017 11:13 pm by Robotbeat »
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

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Offline savuporo

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2143 on: 07/17/2017 01:00 pm »
Now I really have the feeling that Blue Origin no longer works in the aerospace industry, but for museums. What's wrong with BO these days? Half of the year is gone and not even a single flight, only exhibitions, museums and awards.

Certainly have been more awards than flights this year. Which, come to think of it applies also to some previous private spaceflight accomplishments - i think awards to flights ratio for SpaceShipOne was a good 10:1 if not higher
« Last Edit: 07/17/2017 01:02 pm by savuporo »
Orion - the first and only manned not-too-deep-space craft

Offline high road

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2144 on: 07/17/2017 01:10 pm »
Funny, I was just going to add that maybe Bezos liked the buzz about BO competing against SpaceX so much, he might be waiting for VG to catch up some more to create the same buzz about competing for suborbital tourism.

Tongue in cheek of course, but people with 'unlimited' funding are known to be fond of such things.

Offline Svetoslav

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2145 on: 07/17/2017 01:41 pm »
How probably could such scenario be? Virgin Galactic is actually conducting flights this year and are once again gaining attention...

Online gongora

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2146 on: 07/17/2017 02:35 pm »
Asking the same things over and over again isn't likely to get you any more information.  Blue will launch again when they're ready.  We've been through many periods of slow news/inscrutable schedules/seeming inaction like this with SpaceX over the years.  Big aerospace projects take time.  I seriously doubt Blue has shut down for a summer awards circuit tour.  Give them a chance to get their work done, and we'll eventually see more pretty videos of launches.

Offline Svetoslav

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2147 on: 07/17/2017 02:43 pm »
Star One: Good that you said it :)

However, to answer your question.

I'm a millenial with all associated prejudices about that :) I wouldn't say that I (or people like me) are "entitled". I'd rather prefer the word "demanding". We are literally born in the Age of information and as such, we expect to have it.

I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. It's a cultural change. I just hate when people are putting all of their prejudices right under my nose. I think being demaning in space exploration is a good thing and people should respect that rather than scold people like me.

But no, I'm currently not interested to engaging with Bezos on this issue. Not only he rarely answers his tweets, replying right under the post about Buzz Aldrin would be kinda rude. After all, he's an accomplished guy and deserves the reward.

I am more interested with speaking to fellow space enthusiasts, sharing the same concerns about why it takes so long, occasionally joking about Blue Origin "the museum company". In the end noone is immune to criticism, not even Bezos, not even Virgin Galactic. I've seen many critical posts about why it took so long to develop SpaceShip two here. I can promise that if they can't keep to the schedule Branson recently posted, I'll be critical too. 

Now: I see a mod comment. End of discussion for me. Now to focus on Mayak satellite again, so I have some things to share there.
« Last Edit: 07/17/2017 02:44 pm by Svetoslav »

Offline Jim

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2148 on: 07/17/2017 03:14 pm »

I am more interested with speaking to fellow space enthusiasts, sharing the same concerns about why it takes so long,

That is the problem.  It isn't taking too long.  Some things take time and there are no short cuts in hardware development.  You have no right in demanding anything unless you are paying for it.

Offline Lars-J

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2149 on: 07/17/2017 04:02 pm »
Because they took the lessons learned from their first couple of flights into the factory and applied changes. I have no insider information but that much seems obvious.

Obvious? No. They also might have lost interest, and have shifted most resources to working on NG. Equally possible IMO.

Offline Chasm

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2150 on: 07/17/2017 05:36 pm »
Looks to me like they are not licensed by FAA to launch at this time.

Offline Lars-J

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2151 on: 07/17/2017 05:58 pm »
Looks to me like they are not licensed by FAA to launch at this time.

...and this failure to file the paperwork is either due to a planned delay or lack of interest, so it doesn't tell us much.

Offline Lar

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2152 on: 07/18/2017 02:06 am »
That seems more productive than stale back and forth.
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Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2153 on: 07/18/2017 07:46 pm »
Cross posting purely for claimed timescale of NS flight:

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Thomas Driebe, DLR: platforms we use for µg research include Blue Origin’s New Shepard; flying experiments on it in 2nd half 2017. #ISSRDC

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/887391257797865472

Offline Star One

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Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2154 on: 07/21/2017 04:42 pm »
DLR to fly experiments on Blue Origin’s New Shepard

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The German Aerospace Center, Germany’s space agency, will fly two experiments on a suborbital flight by Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle later this year as part of an effort to diversify its microgravity research efforts.

Thomas Driebe, head of the physical and material sciences program at the center, known by the German acronym DLR, said in a presentation July 18 at the International Space Station Research and Development Conference here that the center planned to fly the physical sciences experiments under a commercial deal with Blue Origin.

“This is another opportunity for German scientists,” he said in a brief discussion about the mission, scheduled for the second half of this year, during his presentation.

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In a later interview, Driebe said one of the experiments will test a phenomenon known as photophoresis, the movement of particles suspended in a gas triggered by light. In astrophysics, photophoresis plays a role in the formation of planets in protoplanetary disks. The other experiment, he said, will test granular matter dynamics in microgravity.

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Cost is also a factor. “The sounding rockets are rather cost-intensive,” Driebe said. “So this was an opportunity to put small payloads on another platform.” DLR purchased the payload space on the New Shepard flight, he said, but he did not disclose the price the center paid. “Since it’s one of the first flights, as far as I know there was a special discount.”

http://spacenews.com/dlr-to-fly-experiments-on-blue-origins-new-shepard/
« Last Edit: 07/21/2017 04:45 pm by Star One »

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2155 on: 07/24/2017 05:48 am »
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Wow! Look who else is here at #OSH17 - our @blueorigin friends have some flight-tested hardware to show off.

https://twitter.com/nasahistory/status/889283920348491777

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2156 on: 07/24/2017 07:59 pm »
Quote
NASA doesn't get a whole lot of credit for this, but the agency has done a lot to help @blueorigin with crew spacecraft development.

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/889566218822311943

Offline Mark K

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2157 on: 07/25/2017 07:50 pm »
Quote
Wow! Look who else is here at #OSH17 - our @blueorigin friends have some flight-tested hardware to show off.
Stood next to it during Barenaked Ladies concert last night. A night to remember. Heard it is the vehicle that was used to test capsule escape. Why it is so beat up. It looks like it is built like a tank.


Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2158 on: 07/27/2017 01:54 pm »
Quote
Jeff Bezos Surpasses Bill Gates as World's Richest Person
By Shelly Hagan and Spencer Soper
27 July 2017, 14:32 GMT+1

    His net worth climbs more than $1 billion in intraday trading
    Gates has held top spot on Bloomberg wealth index since 2013

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-27/bezos-surpasses-gates-as-world-s-richest-ahead-of-amazon-results

Offline Eerie

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Re: Blue Origin Update and Discussion Thread
« Reply #2159 on: 07/27/2017 02:53 pm »
Quote
Jeff Bezos Surpasses Bill Gates as World's Richest Person
By Shelly Hagan and Spencer Soper
27 July 2017, 14:32 GMT+1

    His net worth climbs more than $1 billion in intraday trading
    Gates has held top spot on Bloomberg wealth index since 2013

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-27/bezos-surpasses-gates-as-world-s-richest-ahead-of-amazon-results

Whether Bezos has $80b or $90b has no real impact on Blue Origin.

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