Author Topic: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan  (Read 1105652 times)

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #760 on: 09/12/2017 08:57 am »
Just posted but not sure if this is new news?!

Quote
New Glenn rocket from @blueorigin will have 7-meter fairing from the start; aiming at constellations.

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/907527035706396672

Edit to add confirmation:

Quote
Clay Mowry of Blue Origin announces New Glenn will debut with 7-meter fairing on first launch. 2x volume of any 5-meter fairing flying today

https://twitter.com/stephenclark1/status/907528509999984641
« Last Edit: 09/12/2017 09:00 am by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline Kryten

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #761 on: 09/12/2017 10:24 am »
References to and images of the 5m fairing have been removed from Blue's site; it's not clear if they're still offering it.

Offline Jarnis

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #762 on: 09/12/2017 11:55 am »
Probably simplifies the aerodynamics of the whole thing? And if you going big for plenty of margin for recovery, slightly heavier fairing probably isn't a deal-breaker.

Offline envy887

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #763 on: 09/12/2017 01:41 pm »
Have we seen any indication that they plan to recover the fairings? Those are going to be a lot more expensive than 5-meter fairings.

Online GWH

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #764 on: 09/12/2017 01:52 pm »
Yes 2 stage. Their website is also updated,  performance numbers are placed "under" 3 stage variant. Can't tell which is which.

Offline Bargemanos

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #765 on: 09/12/2017 01:53 pm »
This for the initial two-stage version?

 - Ed Kyle
As well as the 3 stage version.


https://www.blueorigin.com/new-glenn/


Offline WindnWar

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #766 on: 09/12/2017 02:07 pm »
The graphic still shows an expendable second stage. That is one big stage to burn up along with a large and expensive fairing too.

The economics of this will prove interesting.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #767 on: 09/12/2017 04:29 pm »
Quote
Given customer response, we’re going straight to the 7m fairing and skipping 5.4m. Customers liking options the 2X volume provides.

https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/907640850309562374

Offline TrevorMonty

7m also allows for large space station habitat modules.

I think LEO and GTO masses are for 2 stage. At 45t to LEO 3rd stage should capable of delivering 15t direct to GEO or DSH.


Offline Lars-J

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #769 on: 09/13/2017 03:17 am »
This launcher already has a very large expendable stage, and now much larger fairing than any competitor... (Fairings aren't cheap, just as SpaceX) This adds to the costs of the launcher.

So unless they really do have lots of constellation launches, this thing is going to be way over sized for almost any other payload than a LEO space station. Manufacturing 7m fairings for payloads that need much less is a big waste.

But they could certainly pull it off... Eventually launching large pieces or bulk launches will IMO be the majority of launches, so perhaps he is timing this right after all. The future will tell... :)
« Last Edit: 09/13/2017 03:18 am by Lars-J »

Offline TrevorMonty

Not needing to make satellite as compact for launch should add significant savings to build cost.

I would expect launch prices to be competitive, unlike competition Blue don't need to recover R&D costs. While their fairing and maybe US is more expensive, the reuseable booster is lot cheaper to fly than smaller ELVs.

Offline Lars-J

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #771 on: 09/13/2017 05:38 am »
Not needing to make satellite as compact for launch should add significant savings to build cost.

A statement often spoken yet not proven, almost bordering on wishful thinking. But I hope you are right.

Offline guckyfan

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #772 on: 09/13/2017 05:55 am »
I would expect launch prices to be competitive, unlike competition Blue don't need to recover R&D costs. While their fairing and maybe US is more expensive, the reuseable booster is lot cheaper to fly than smaller ELVs.

A valid point in competition to ULA and Arianespace. Not so much in competition with SpaceX who have a reusable booster. Fairing, upper stage and the large moving ship for downrange landing are expensive to operate.

Offline TrevorMonty

Not needing to make satellite as compact for launch should add significant savings to build cost.

A statement often spoken yet not proven, almost bordering on wishful thinking. But I hope you are right.
Blue think it is a valid point, but comsat owners want redundant LVs. They would only build satellite for NG if there is alternative LV with 7m fairing.

Offline M.E.T.

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #774 on: 09/13/2017 06:41 am »
Silly question perhaps, but do they mean 7m in length or 7m diameter?

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #775 on: 09/13/2017 06:46 am »
Silly question perhaps, but do they mean 7m in length or 7m diameter?

It's length. Blue Origin's graphic clearly shows same width as rocket, just like previous 5.4m fairing.
I was talking rubbish, as corrected in subsequent posts.
« Last Edit: 09/13/2017 06:46 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline Steven Pietrobon

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #776 on: 09/13/2017 06:57 am »
Silly question perhaps, but do they mean 7m in length or 7m diameter?

It's length. Blue Origin's graphic clearly shows same width as rocket, just like previous 5.4m fairing.

I'm pretty sure they mean 7 m in diameter. The rocket is 7 m in diameter.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline Electric Paint

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #777 on: 09/13/2017 07:53 am »
Silly question perhaps, but do they mean 7m in length or 7m diameter?

It's length. Blue Origin's graphic clearly shows same width as rocket, just like previous 5.4m fairing.

I'm pretty sure they mean 7 m in diameter. The rocket is 7 m in diameter.

Yeah, the 3-stage version was always pictured with a 7m fairing, and this announcement seems like a smart move, not just for pleasing prospective customers, but for simplifying the production line.

Offline notsorandom

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #778 on: 09/13/2017 01:38 pm »
Is the cost of a fairing mainly in the labor and tooling needed to make it or the material used to make it? A 7 meter fairing, while much larger, may not cost that much more to make than a 5 meter fairing.

Offline AncientU

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Re: New Glenn: Blue Origin Announcement of Orbital Rocket Plan
« Reply #779 on: 09/13/2017 02:40 pm »
Not needing to make satellite as compact for launch should add significant savings to build cost.

A statement often spoken yet not proven, almost bordering on wishful thinking. But I hope you are right.
Blue think it is a valid point, but comsat owners want redundant LVs. They would only build satellite for NG if there is alternative LV with 7m fairing.

Would 9m do?
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