Blue Origin Manufacturing site in Florida

[jacqmans]

We broke ground on our orbital vehicle manufacturing site in Florida.

The 750,000 square foot rocket factory is custom-built from the ground up to accommodate manufacturing, processing, integration and testing. Among other things, the facility hosts large scale friction stir welding and automated composite processing equipment. All of the vehicle will be manufactured in this facility except for the engines. Initial BE-4 engine production will occur at our Kent facility while we conduct a site selection process later this year for a larger engine production facility to accommodate higher production rates.

I’ve included some photos that will give you an idea of what the vehicle manufacturing facility will look like in December 2017 when it’s complete.

It’s exciting to see the bulldozers in action--we’re clearing the way for the production of a reusable fleet of orbital vehicles that we will launch and land, again and again.

Gradatim Ferociter!

 Jeff Bezos

[KSC Sage]

The facility floor slab is planned to be competed by December of this year.

[jacqmans]

better resolution

[Orbiter]

Is that rendering of the three Blue Origin boosters in the 3rd image our first look at their orbital launch vehicle?

[LastStarFighter]

Is that rendering of the three Blue Origin boosters in the 3rd image our first look at their orbital launch vehicle?

Looks like it. So now we know they will use 3 engines on their "smallest" vehicle? Can't anyone estimate the booster size with based on the truck tires wheeling it out?

[Bob Shaw]

I'll try to measure similar ones tomorrow.

[Borklund]

Is that rendering of the three Blue Origin boosters in the 3rd image our first look at their orbital launch vehicle?

Could be a teaser/sneak peek, or could be artistic license.

If it's not just made up; three engines, possibly three core first stage?

[Lars-J]

Is that rendering of the three Blue Origin boosters in the 3rd image our first look at their orbital launch vehicle?

Looks like it. So now we know they will use 3 engines on their "smallest" vehicle? Can't anyone estimate the booster size with based on the truck tires wheeling it out?

No need, really. We know the booster would be powered by BE-4.

[LastStarFighter]

Is that rendering of the three Blue Origin boosters in the 3rd image our first look at their orbital launch vehicle?

Looks like it. So now we know they will use 3 engines on their "smallest" vehicle? Can't anyone estimate the booster size with based on the truck tires wheeling it out?

No need, really. We know the booster would be powered by BE-4.

Sorry for the confusion. Obviously it'll be powered by the BE-4. They've stated that many times. But what size does that make the booster? Looks like 5m diameter and 30m long?

[catdlr]

according to public records as posted in Florida Today

Public records show Blue Origin’s main manufacturing facility will measure 725 feet long, 345 feet wide and 75 feet tall, with a “super high bay” rising 82 feet. KSC Director Bob Cabana recently compared the factory's footprint to that of NASA's 52-story Vehicle Assembly Building.

And Blue Origin's Exploration Park plans leave room for an additional 150,000 square-foot manufacturing building and 50,000 square-foot processing facility that could be added later.

source: http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2016/06/03/blue-origin-clearing-land-massive-rocket-factory/85198336/

[catdlr]

better resolution

Geo tag for this picture and site for the factory:

Geotag

Edit/Lar: Fix long link

[Kabloona]

Is that rendering of the three Blue Origin boosters in the 3rd image our first look at their orbital launch vehicle?

Looks like it. So now we know they will use 3 engines on their "smallest" vehicle? Can't anyone estimate the booster size with based on the truck tires wheeling it out?

No need, really. We know the booster would be powered by BE-4.

Sorry for the confusion. Obviously it'll be powered by the BE-4. They've stated that many times. But what size does that make the booster? Looks like 5m diameter and 30m long?

Using the reported 82-foot height for the "super high bay", I get a booster length of about 70 ft and diameter of about 15 ft.

For comparison, the image below was the "first look" at Blue's orbital vehicle from last September. The fineness ratio looks correct, whereas the fineness ratio of the booster shown in the facility rendering above is consistent with a New Shepard model that the artist scaled up and tweaked for convenience, too short to be a real first stage, so I wouldn't put much stock in it.

[Bob Shaw]

I measured transporter wheels today - there are two sizes, but I left my notes at work so won't burden the numerologists among us with wrong figures - tomorrow will have to do!

[Bob Shaw]

Using the reported 82-foot height for the "super high bay", I get a booster length of about 70 ft and diameter of about 15 ft.

For comparison, the image below was the "first look" at Blue's orbital vehicle from last September. The fineness ratio looks correct, whereas the fineness ratio of the booster shown in the facility rendering above is consistent with a New Shepard model that the artist scaled up and tweaked for convenience, too short to be a real first stage, so I wouldn't put much stock in it.

Could it be just the H2 tank and motors? An unseen section with another 25% for LO2 and interstage would seem to be about the correct proportions.

[Kabloona]

Using the reported 82-foot height for the "super high bay", I get a booster length of about 70 ft and diameter of about 15 ft.

For comparison, the image below was the "first look" at Blue's orbital vehicle from last September. The fineness ratio looks correct, whereas the fineness ratio of the booster shown in the facility rendering above is consistent with a New Shepard model that the artist scaled up and tweaked for convenience, too short to be a real first stage, so I wouldn't put much stock in it.

Could it be just the H2 tank and motors? An unseen section with another 25% for LO2 and interstage would seem to be about the correct proportions.

I doubt it, as you wouldn't have a relatively finished booster with engines attached but missing one of its tanks, and why would the artist render only half a stage?

This press release is all about the facility, with other bits stuck on around it. IMO, the booster rendering is a bit of artistic license pasted on for effect. Unlike the rendering Bezos showed, which makes sense proportionally.

[MarekCyzio]

Progress as of July 1.

[QuantumG]

Ewww.. they've building it with Haskell?   

[jabe]

Ewww.. they've building it with Haskell? 

mmm why the "dislike"?  edit:ok..did a search..I think i get it

[Nilof]

Ewww.. they've building it with Haskell?   

I think what you mean is: "Yay, they are building it with Haskell!    ".

[CyndyC]

Ewww.. they've building it with Haskell? 

mmm why the "dislike"?  edit:ok..did a search..I think i get it

I'm curious too, and a search wouldn't tell me why. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville where I grew up and now live. Their contract history as reported by our business journal has been quite impressive. The founder Preston Haskell has been a generous benefactor to many important causes locally, and it happens my brother's brother-in-law is their lead architect, a very intelligent and nice man whom I think you actually would like QuantumG.

[Lar]

Ewww.. they've building it with Haskell? 

mmm why the "dislike"?  edit:ok..did a search..I think i get it

I'm curious too, and a search wouldn't tell me why. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville where I grew up and now live. Their contract history as reported by our business journal has been quite impressive. The founder Preston Haskell has been a generous benefactor to many important causes locally, and it happens my brother's brother-in-law is their lead architect, a very intelligent and nice man whom I think you actually would like QuantumG.

Pretty sure it's a programmer's joke...

Haskell is a programming language that you either have never heard of, love, or hate. There are no other possibilities.

(It's functional, strongly typed, non strict semantically, but with lazy evaluation...  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haskell_(programming_language) for more )

[russianhalo117]

Ewww.. they've building it with Haskell? 

mmm why the "dislike"?  edit:ok..did a search..I think i get it

I'm curious too, and a search wouldn't tell me why. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville where I grew up and now live. Their contract history as reported by our business journal has been quite impressive. The founder Preston Haskell has been a generous benefactor to many important causes locally, and it happens my brother's brother-in-law is their lead architect, a very intelligent and nice man whom I think you actually would like QuantumG.

Pretty sure it's a programmer's joke...

Haskell is a programming language that you either have never heard of, love, or hate. There are no other possibilities.

(It's functional, strongly typed, non strict semantically, but with lazy evaluation...  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haskell_(programming_language) for more )

We have Cobalt Construction in the primary city that I live in. Im not sure that those two would work well together

[e of pi]

I'm curious too, and a search wouldn't tell me why. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville where I grew up and now live. Their contract history as reported by our business journal has been quite impressive. The founder Preston Haskell has been a generous benefactor to many important causes locally, and it happens my brother's brother-in-law is their lead architect, a very intelligent and nice man whom I think you actually would like QuantumG.

It's a somewhat obscure programming joke, not a critique of the construction company of the same name who are actually involved here. Haskell is also the name of a rather particular programming language, and discussions of the type "Eww, you're using X language for Y application?" are a standby of programming forums.

[Nilof]

I'm curious too, and a search wouldn't tell me why. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville where I grew up and now live. Their contract history as reported by our business journal has been quite impressive. The founder Preston Haskell has been a generous benefactor to many important causes locally, and it happens my brother's brother-in-law is their lead architect, a very intelligent and nice man whom I think you actually would like QuantumG.

It's a somewhat obscure programming joke, not a critique of the construction company of the same name who are actually involved here. Haskell is also the name of a rather particular programming language, and discussions of the type "Eww, you're using X language for Y application?" are a standby of programming forums.

If anyone is curious about how Haskell is "different", here's a side by side comparison of a simple fibonacci function.

Typical short Python implementation:

def fib(n):
 a,b = 1,1
 for i in range(n-1):
  a,b = b,a+b
 return a

Typical short Haskell implementation:

fibs = 0 : 1 : zipWith (+) fibs (tail fibs)
fib n = fibs !! n

The imperative python program just iterates on values up to the result with a for loop. The Haskell program on the other hand creates a recursive definition of an infinite list of all fibonacci numbers, and evaluates the n'th element of that list. Incidentally it is also much faster, though this isn't really a fair comparison.

In short, the idea space is completely different, in a strongly polarizing way that people will either love or hate.

[russianhalo117]

I'm curious too, and a search wouldn't tell me why. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville where I grew up and now live. Their contract history as reported by our business journal has been quite impressive. The founder Preston Haskell has been a generous benefactor to many important causes locally, and it happens my brother's brother-in-law is their lead architect, a very intelligent and nice man whom I think you actually would like QuantumG.

It's a somewhat obscure programming joke, not a critique of the construction company of the same name who are actually involved here. Haskell is also the name of a rather particular programming language, and discussions of the type "Eww, you're using X language for Y application?" are a standby of programming forums.

If anyone is curious about how Haskell is "different", here's a side by side comparison of a simple fibonacci function.

Typical short Python implementation:

def fib(n):
 a,b = 1,1
 for i in range(n-1):
  a,b = b,a+b
 return a

Typical short Haskell implementation:

fibs = 0 : 1 : zipWith (+) fibs (tail fibs)
fib n = fibs !! n

The imperative python program just iterates on values up to the result with a for loop. The Haskell program on the other hand creates a recursive definition of an infinite list of all fibonacci numbers, and evaluates the n'th element of that list. Incidentally it is also much faster, though this isn't really a fair comparison.

It does this by using a higher order function "zipWith" to map a familiar function "(+)" to one that you need: the function "zipWith (+)" which does element wise addition on lists. This way of constructing the functions you need by passing functions as input to other functions to mutate them is key to the Haskell way of doing things.

In short, the idea space is completely different, in a strongly polarizing way that people will either love or hate.

We are all going to all get so slammed for this important off-topic-ness when this thread takes off in a couple of years as its importance arises.

[Lar]

Obscure programming languages seem VERY closely related to Blue Origin manufacturing facilities in Florida.

Oh wait...

[Lar]

Obscure programming languages seem VERY closely related to Blue Origin manufacturing facilities in Florida.

Oh wait...

Feel free to actually moderate the thread.

I try warnings first. If that doesn't work, moderation follows. By the way, I deleted your post since it's meta..

[Kryten]

Space Florida ‏@SpaceFlorida  3m3 minutes ago
This morning, crews began pouring concrete for @blueorigin  first building at its vehicle manufacturing campus

[Danderman]

The takeaway from this is the development of commercial space means that the days of reliance on government space are ending - commercial space is more sustainable and less subject to the whims of politicians.

[Kabloona]

The takeaway from this is the development of commercial space means that the days of reliance on government space are ending - commercial space is more sustainable and less subject to the whims of politicians.

Finally the engineers (Bezos) and physicists (Musk) are in charge again. It only took what, 90 years (since Goddard), but now the engineers and physicists are a lot wealthier. Thank you, Internet!

[QuantumG]

Ha! The engineers, physicists and other geeks have been in charge many times before. The difference with Bezos and Musk is that they can actually manage a company.

[Kabloona]

Ha! The engineers, physicists and other geeks have been in charge many times before. The difference with Bezos and Musk is that they can actually manage a company.

David W. Thompson (engineer) did pretty well starting Orbital from nothing with two other guys and building it into a big company, but unlike Musk and Bezos they didn't have their own billions to play with.

Even so, I'll readily agree most engineers, physicists and other geeks aren't good managers. We're fortunate to be around to see Musk and Bezos do their thing.

[Space Ghost 1962]

Ha! The engineers, physicists and other geeks have been in charge many times before. The difference with Bezos and Musk is that they can actually manage a company.

David W. Thompson (engineer) did pretty well starting Orbital from nothing with two other guys and building it into a big company, but unlike Musk and Bezos they didn't have their own billions to play with.

Even so, I'll readily agree most engineers, physicists and other geeks aren't good managers. We're fortunate to be around to see Musk and Bezos do their thing.

They all have weaknesses.

Musk learned/learns the hard way. He's also physics trained. Bezos is in some ways too smart. They both tend to overreach. Both are surrounded by interesting people that buffer the excesses.

OA has a tremendous amount of pragmatism and as a business is very diversified. But not a push the envelope kind.

As to "good managers", depends on culture. No way you can compare them "apples to apples" - Musk wouldn't be tolerated in OA's culture, Thompson wouldn't even be functional at SX.

You also have to add in to the Musk advantage having been from Silicon Valley and understanding financials / business models / financial structures - you're used to "reprogramming" an industry to begin with. Most space entrepreneurs I've met are really bad in this area, and they think that making it look like a traditional aerospace firm that some home that is a good idea. They had no clue that they were dooming themselves by getting caught in the swampland this way - they thought it was "good enough" and they'd turn their attention to tech/engineering execution that they though mattered more.

[Kabloona]

As to "good managers", depends on culture. No way you can compare them "apples to apples" - Musk wouldn't be tolerated in OA's culture, Thompson wouldn't even be functional at SX.

Funny how times change. Thirty-six years ago, Thompson and his band of "space nuts" (per the infamous Wall Street Journal article) were the "new space" kids on the block that many people expected to fail, not unlike the early days of SpaceX. The culture was much different from NASA/traditional aerospace, and at the time those guys and the engineers they hired would have fit right in at SpaceX. But because NASA was their customer on TOS, and to a lesser extent on Taurus and Pegasus, over time they had to adapt and become more traditional.

Now SpaceX is setting a new standard in design, manufacturing, systems engineering, vertical integration, etc. In less than thirty years, they'll be the new "traditional," and we'll be looking for the next Elon Musk.

Sorry for the digresssion; back to Blue Origin in Florida.

[CyndyC]

Finally the engineers (Bezos) and physicists (Musk) are in charge again.

All fascinating insights surrounding Blue Origin's origins, except I see Jeff Bezos as a really, really smart librarian, not an engineer, and in an interview with Elon Musk, he once described himself as "basically an engineer," not a physicist.

[Kabloona]

All fascinating insights surrounding Blue Origin's origins, except I see Jeff Bezos as a really, really smart librarian, not an engineer...

It's funny, he was an EECS major while I was an MAE (mechanical and aerospace engineering) major in the same class, but I never ran into him around the Equad because EECS was in a different part of the building.

Anyway, good for all of us that he's putting his engineering degree to use instead of just selling books. ;-)

[CyndyC]

All fascinating insights surrounding Blue Origin's origins, except I see Jeff Bezos as a really, really smart librarian, not an engineer...

It's funny, he was an EECS major while I was an MAE (mechanical and aerospace engineering) major in the same class, but I never ran into him around the Equad because EECS was in a different part of the building.

Anyway, good for all of us that he's putting his engineering degree to use instead of just selling books. ;-)

No kidding, that's interesting! It's still easier to see that you're an engineer, however. I've sometimes wondered if men have been under family & social pressure to become engineers regardless of their true personalities, similar to the way women have been under family & social pressure for decades to become secretaries, school teachers, & nurses. 

[Robotbeat]

Finally the engineers (Bezos) and physicists (Musk) are in charge again.

All fascinating insights surrounding Blue Origin's origins, except I see Jeff Bezos as a really, really smart librarian, not an engineer, and in an interview with Elon Musk, he once described himself as "basically an engineer," not a physicist.

Musk is, in fact, a physicist by training. He does the work of an engineer, of course, but the training is different enough that you come at problems in a very different manner.

For instance, that annoying habit of his where he points out the limit of what he thinks is possible, not the "most achievable" middle. You have to establish limits. That's a physicist thing.

[QuantumG]

Musk is, in fact, a physicist by training.

From what I've heard of his college days, he's a beer drinker by training (aka an engineer.)

[russianhalo117]

Stay on topic guys. The topic here is solely the Blue Origin Manufacturing site in Florida.

[bad_astra]

OA has a tremendous amount of pragmatism and as a business is very diversified. But not a push the envelope kind.

Not to derail, but that must be answered. Orbital pushed every bit of the envelope there was to get started and keep running. History is littered with well meant attempts like Conestoga, Kelly, Pioneer, RRC, and Kistler that did not make it, but OSC did, and they didn't have a bazillionaire helping them do it, which also doesn't guarantee success (Beale). There was nothing conservative about an air launched booster with winglets. I think they still have enough of that spirit to stay competitive. They paved the way for the newer space companies.

[Prober]

good info on Space Florida master plan


http://www.spaceflorida.gov/docs/spaceport-ops/reduced-version_cape-canaveral-spaceport-complex-master-plan-2013.pdf?sfvrsn=2

[Zond]

The frame of the first building has been erected. This is probably the manufacturing annex.

http://spaceksc.blogspot.be/2016/10/blues-origin.html

[Comet]

Great pace! last month I was there....and this is what I saw:

[Llian Rhydderch]

The frame of the first building has been erected. This is probably the manufacturing annex.

http://spaceksc.blogspot.be/2016/10/blues-origin.html

The photos from the SpaceKSC blog are not loading for me.  Does anyone else have them? 

(Steven gives permission for re-publishing if he as the source is acknowledged.)

[eriblo]

The frame of the first building has been erected. This is probably the manufacturing annex.

http://spaceksc.blogspot.be/2016/10/blues-origin.html

The photos from the SpaceKSC blog are not loading for me.  Does anyone else have them? 

(Steven gives permission for re-publishing if he as the source is acknowledged.)

The hosting site (photobucket) was down for maintenance, should work now.

[testguy]

I would really like to see current photos of the construction site.  Can anyone provide them please?

[FutureSpaceTourist]

I would really like to see current photos of the construction site.  Can anyone provide them please?

Attached has been tweeted by Jeff Foust (and others):

Jeff Foust ‏@jeff_foust 3m3 minutes ago

Jeff Bezos sends along a photo showing progress on Blue Origin’s Florida factory for building New Glenn rockets. Completion by end 2017.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/806138139463086081

[testguy]

Thank you.  Very impressive!

[FutureSpaceTourist]

A couple of more photos:

Alicia (SpaceGal) ‏@murphypak 3h3 hours ago

@ClayMowry @NASASpaceflight took these yesterday #BlueOrigin

https://twitter.com/murphypak/status/806159457327661056

Alicia (SpaceGal) ‏@murphypak 3h3 hours ago

@ClayMowry @NASASpaceflight this is other building #blueorigin

https://twitter.com/murphypak/status/806159686739382274

[sanman]

Blue Origin rocket plant taking shape on Space Coast

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/go-for-launch/os-blue-origin-rocket-plant-20161206-story.html

[TrevorMonty]

The sizing of these buildings, especially entrances may give a clue to size of New Armstrong. Unless they plan for a whole new facility for NA.

[MarekCyzio]

Today

[Rocket Science]

Today

Great to see new space-related construction against a beautiful blue sky especially from sitting under a gloomy-grey one today in the NE.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Snap! 

Can't wait to build some giant rockets here!

https://twitter.com/malderi/status/825369933680877568

[FutureSpaceTourist]

@NASASpaceflight Blue Origin lots of progress

https://twitter.com/murphypak/status/827692339611201536

Edit: added wider shot from subsequent tweet

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Scott Henderson, Blue Origin: our manufacturing facility at Cape Canaveral set to be ready for occupancy by December. #CST2017

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/829420457753509892

[KSC Sage]

Scott Henderson, Blue Origin: our manufacturing facility at Cape Canaveral set to be ready for occupancy by December. #CST2017

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/829420457753509892

A second office facility is planned to be built at SLC-36.

[Star One]

Blue Origin Prepares to Build Its Florida Rocket Launch Complex

Jeff Bezos' private space company is eyeing 2020 to begin flights of the orbital New Glenn rocket.

http://www.seeker.com/blue-origin-jeff-bezos-florida-launches-orbit-2252396999.html

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Swung by the @blueorigin factory under construction just outside the KSC gates. It’s taking shape, and it’s big.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/833014535523033089

[oliversl]

Photos from this Sunday Feb 22, 2017 after SpaceX CRS10 launch.

Google Maps link

imgur mirror: http://imgur.com/a/MMaNn

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Walls are going up #BlueOrigin

https://twitter.com/murphypak/status/835564327478378496

[kendalla59]

I had a chance to visit KSC last week, and the Blue Origin building was right there on the road to the visitor's center. That was a very cool, and unexpected, thing to see. The bus ride also took me past 39A and 39B. There is a lot of excitement on the space coast these days.

[gospacex]

The takeaway from this is the development of commercial space means that the days of reliance on government space are ending - commercial space is more sustainable and less subject to the whims of politicians.

Finally the engineers (Bezos) and physicists (Musk) are in charge again. It only took what, 90 years (since Goddard), but now the engineers and physicists are a lot wealthier. Thank you, Internet!

Mike Griffin is an engineer too. Yet, *he* gave us Constellation/SLS. A large organization has its own survival logic, and logic overrides, it mysteriously trumps everything else, even sound engineering or financial considerations, even when many people inside it understand that it is wrong. Even if the leadership, by all indications, should be capable of understanding that it is wrong.

[meberbs]

The spaceflight now article on Bezo's announcement includes an interesting tidbit I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere:

The New Glenn’s primary base will be at Cape Canaveral, where Blue Origin is constructing a cavernous rocket factory just outside the gates of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Blue Origin has started preliminary earthmoving work for a launch pad at Complex 36, a former Atlas rocket facility at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and plans to install an engine test stand at neighboring Complex 11.

Emphasis mine.

This sounds like they have started some work on the pad site itself, since they are well past earth moving on the production facility. It would be interesting to see what exactly they are doing at the pad. Also, if they have started earth moving, it presumably means that they have also gotten some environmental construction permits, which might have interesting info in them if someone knows where the database is to look them up.

[catdlr]

Blue Origin Factory | March 18 2017

Updated 3/21/1027: YouTube video has been removed by the user.

[Eer]

Blue Origin Factory | March 18 2017
... removed link to youtube...

I'm trying to imagine the site facility management weekly status meeting after this was published this weekend.  So much for perimeter control.

[matthewkantar]

Wow. Hope nobody has to see a judge for trespassing. I watched this fairly carefully, figure I might as well before it gets taken down. I don't see an area big enough to assemble a New Glenn in there, or a bunch of them.

Matthew

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Yes there do appear to be quite a lot of internal supports and small spans. However, when the video goes around the back I think the rear portion of the building may be more open. Clearly they will have room for NG somewhere! Time will tell where that is.

[meberbs]

Yes there do appear to be quite a lot of internal supports and small spans. However, when the video goes around the back I think the rear portion of the building may be more open. Clearly they will have room for NG somewhere! Time will tell where that is.

There is plenty of room for New Glenn if you compare the current video to the original renderings. I attached a screenshot from the video where they drove around back. You can see buildings on the left and right with a big empty space in between.

The original renderings show the large hanger as sandwiched between the 2 buildings. If you click to enlarge the first picture in this post, you can see the taller supports on the one side of the building that will be for the central hangar. (This view is from the exact opposite side as the screenshot I attached.)

[Navier–Stokes]

Yes there do appear to be quite a lot of internal supports and small spans. However, when the video goes around the back I think the rear portion of the building may be more open. Clearly they will have room for NG somewhere! Time will tell where that is.

There is plenty of room for New Glenn if you compare the current video to the original renderings. I attached a screenshot from the video where they drove around back. You can see buildings on the left and right with a big empty space in between.

The original renderings show the large hanger as sandwiched between the 2 buildings. If you click to enlarge the first picture in this post, you can see the taller supports on the one side of the building that will be for the central hangar. (This view is from the exact opposite side as the screenshot I attached.)

For reference, here is the facility as rendered in the New Glenn video (screencap courtesy of Ars Technica).

[matthewkantar]

Got it. Also wondered why there was crane track only on one side. Thought I was looking at two buildings,  not one very large one. Nice.

Matthew.

[Comga]

Yes there do appear to be quite a lot of internal supports and small spans. However, when the video goes around the back I think the rear portion of the building may be more open. Clearly they will have room for NG somewhere! Time will tell where that is.

I saw this construction site on the same weekend (albeit from the road during daytime) and the parts already up are NOT going to be the biggest or tallest parts, according to architectural sketches we have seen.  Those will be in the middle, to the right of what is standing, as seen from the road. 

edit:  That screen capture looks to be rotated about ninety degrees counterclockwise from the sketches.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[email protected]'s Bob Cabana shows @blueorigin rocket factory taking shape during #33SS panel. #SpaceSymposium

https://twitter.com/b0yle/status/849668537320968192

[jacqmans]

Construction is progressing on Blue Origin's 750,000-square-foot facility being built at Exploration Park on NASA Kennedy Space Center property in Florida. Blue Origin will use the factory to manufacture its two-stage super-heavy-lift New Glenn launch vehicle and launch the vehicles from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Photo credit: Blue Origin

[Navier–Stokes]

Imgur album with some good pictures from today, courtesy of aftersteveo on r/BlueOrigin.

[Beittil]

A very good friend of mine is on vacation with his wife in Florida this week and I gave the poor fellah some homework on his KSC day

Thought you guys might enjoy my assignment to him Picture's are from today, no more then 2 hours before time of post.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Worker recovering from fall at Blue Origin rocket factory

James Dean | FLORIDA TODAY
Updated 11 hours ago
An electrician is recovering from a more than 20-foot fall that forced a pause in construction late last month of Blue Origin’s rocket factory at Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration Park on Merritt Island.

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2017/06/04/worker-recovering-fall-blue-origin-rocket-factory/368918001/

[FutureSpaceTourist]

At Cape Canaveral, @JeffBezos' @blueorigin has made incredible progress on their orbital rocket factory. Shot with my wheel man @JRouRouRou

https://twitter.com/nova_road/status/881901592374587394

[Navier–Stokes]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWxp6MjgTrP/

jeffbezos Manufacturing facility for the heavy-lift New Glenn launch vehicle is coming along nicely. #BlueOrigin #ReusableRockets #LaunchLandRepeat #GradatimFerociter

[Navier–Stokes]

Picture courtesy of u/robilldt on r/BlueOrigin.

[sanman]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWxp6MjgTrP/

jeffbezos Manufacturing facility for the heavy-lift New Glenn launch vehicle is coming along nicely. #BlueOrigin #ReusableRockets #LaunchLandRepeat #GradatimFerociter

Here's the Youtube version of that for quick viewing:

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[Navier–Stokes]

Brendan Byrne‏ @SpaceBrendan

. @SenBillNelson says @blueorigin rocket manufacturing facility on target for Dec 20 opening.

5:18 PM - 9 Aug 2017

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Here's a wider shot: https://twitter.com/emrekelly/status/895371657732378625

[FutureSpaceTourist]

I spy with my @blueorigin eye ...

https://twitter.com/wordsmithfl/status/904015653929136129

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Peter B. de Selding‏ @pbdes 6m6 minutes ago

Clay Mowry of @blueorigin on hurricane prep at Cape Canaveral rocket plant, nearing completion: 'We put a lot of sandbags around it.' All OK

https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/907528988838518785

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Stephen C. Smith‏ @WordsmithFL 8m8 minutes ago

The @blueorigin construction site didn't have any obvious significant damage.

https://twitter.com/WordsmithFL/status/907638508973694976

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Some more nice shots:

For the curious: @BlueOrigin's KSC factory after #HurricaneIrma. Looks OK. Can see inside the massive hangar if coming from the north.

https://twitter.com/emrekelly/status/909832900681584640

[jacqmans]

The Blue Origin construction site at Exploration Park is seen during an aerial survey of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on September 12, 2017. The survey was performed to identify structures and facilities that may have sustained damage from Hurricane Irma as the storm passed Kennedy on September 10, 2017. NASA closed the center ahead of the storm’s onset and only a small team of specialists known as the Rideout Team was on the center as the storm approached and passed. Photo credit: NASA/Bill White

[testguy]

great news.  I was concerned since structures under construction would seem to be more vulnerable.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

The name is Origin.  Blue Origin.

The name is now on the @blueorigin factory at @NASAKennedy.

https://twitter.com/wordsmithfl/status/919654963097239553

[Kryten]

https://www.spaceintelreport.com/blue-origin-looking-satellite-customer-1st-new-glenn-flight-nice-pricing/
Article says that Blue have started to build NG structures in Florida, so the factory is at least partially operational now.

[SmallKing]

https://www.spaceintelreport.com/blue-origin-looking-satellite-customer-1st-new-glenn-flight-nice-pricing/
Article says that Blue have started to build NG structures in Florida, so the factory is at least partially operational now.

The article says they want to carry a customer's payload on the first flight of NG. That's really crazy

[Welsh Dragon]

Why? Atlas V and Delta IV did. Presumably that customer is going to get a healthy discount.

[Steven Pietrobon]

Why? Atlas V and Delta IV did. Presumably that customer is going to get a healthy discount.

The customers for the first flight of Ariane V, Delta III, Delta IVH, PSLV, Falcon I, Conestoga, N-1, Europa, Athena 1, Antares 130, SPARK, SS-520-4, Electron, FB-1, CZ-2A, CZ-3, CZ-2E/PKM, CZ-1D, CZ-3B, KT-1, KZ-1T, etc. were not so lucky. Blue Origin should accept some hubris and accept the fact that their first launch will have a high probability of failure and thus should not fly a customers payload.

[woods170]

Why? Atlas V and Delta IV did. Presumably that customer is going to get a healthy discount.

The customers for the first flight of Ariane V, Delta III, Delta IVH, PSLV, Falcon I, Conestoga, N-1, Europa, Athena 1, Antares 130, SPARK, SS-520-4, Electron, FB-1, CZ-2A, CZ-3, CZ-2E/PKM, CZ-1D, CZ-3B, KT-1, KZ-1T, etc. were not so lucky. Blue Origin should accept some hubris and accept the fact that their first launch will have a high probability of failure and thus should not fly a customers payload.

Agreed. And you can add first flights of Ariane 5 ECA, GSLV, Naro-1 and Proton-K/Briz-M to that list.

Blue Origin should be particularly wary of flying a customer payload on their first mission given that it will also be the first time they try to achieve orbit. The recent Electron failure should give them something to think about, not to mention what happened to the first three launches of Falcon 1.

IMO putting a customer payload on the very first mission of New Glenn is an incredible risk. Downright foolish.

[Welsh Dragon]

Why? Atlas V and Delta IV did. Presumably that customer is going to get a healthy discount.

The customers for the first flight of Ariane V, Delta III, Delta IVH, PSLV, Falcon I, Conestoga, N-1, Europa, Athena 1, Antares 130, SPARK, SS-520-4, Electron, FB-1, CZ-2A, CZ-3, CZ-2E/PKM, CZ-1D, CZ-3B, KT-1, KZ-1T, etc. were not so lucky. Blue Origin should accept some hubris and accept the fact that their first launch will have a high probability of failure and thus should not fly a customers payload.

Surely that's down to the customer? They know it's a first launch. If they want to accept that risk, it's their choice.

[Darkseraph]

It is possible Blue Origin will put New Glenn through a few suborbital launches with a simulated upperstage/payload before the first orbital launch, just to work out the bugs with recovery and reduce risk. I would be surprised in fact if this was not the plan. They haven't shown any evidence of being recklesssly hasty yet.

[rpapo]

They haven't shown any evidence of being recklesssly hasty yet.

Understatement of the day.

[woods170]

It is possible Blue Origin will put New Glenn through a few suborbital launches with a simulated upperstage/payload before the first orbital launch, just to work out the bugs with recovery and reduce risk. I would be surprised in fact if this was not the plan. They haven't shown any evidence of being recklesssly hasty yet.

I'll point out that most of the up-thread mentioned first-flight failures were NOT the result of reckless haste.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Said in a Blue Origin thread:

Saw the ceiling cranes being delivered this morning at the factory under construction just outside KSC.

https://twitter.com/wordsmithfl/status/921359188684689409

[FutureSpaceTourist]

A sign of the times ... @blueorigin  sign now at main entrance.

https://twitter.com/wordsmithfl/status/921735624515833856

[Navier–Stokes]

Steven C. Smith @WordsmithFL

The ceiling cranes delivered yesterday to the @blueorigin factory. https://t.co/nwaBgwPLvB

[Req]

My god those things are massive...   

Did somebody accidentally spec for fully fueled weight instead of dry weight? lol

[launchwatcher]

My god those things are massive...   

Did somebody accidentally spec for fully fueled weight instead of dry weight? lol

Maybe they spec'ed it (and the ceiling height, and the doors) to be big enough for their next rocket..

[Lars-J]

My god those things are massive...   

Did somebody accidentally spec for fully fueled weight instead of dry weight? lol

Maybe they spec'ed it (and the ceiling height, and the doors) to be big enough for their next rocket..

No.

[envy887]

My god those things are massive...   

Did somebody accidentally spec for fully fueled weight instead of dry weight? lol

Maybe they spec'ed it (and the ceiling height, and the doors) to be big enough for their next rocket..

No.

Scaling from that truck parked just inside, the door height and the hook height on the crane look to be around 18 meters (about 60 feet). That's massive overkill for a 7-meter (23 foot) New Glenn.

They could easily build a 12 meter or 14 meter monster in there that would make even the 2016 ITS look small.

[woods170]

My god those things are massive...   

Did somebody accidentally spec for fully fueled weight instead of dry weight? lol

Maybe they spec'ed it (and the ceiling height, and the doors) to be big enough for their next rocket..

No.

Scaling from that truck parked just inside, the door height and the hook height on the crane look to be around 18 meters (about 60 feet). That's massive overkill for a 7-meter (23 foot) New Glenn.

They could easily build a 12 meter or 14 meter monster in there that would make even the 2016 ITS look small.

That was my impression as well.

[Lars-J]

My god those things are massive...   

Did somebody accidentally spec for fully fueled weight instead of dry weight? lol

Maybe they spec'ed it (and the ceiling height, and the doors) to be big enough for their next rocket..

No.

Scaling from that truck parked just inside, the door height and the hook height on the crane look to be around 18 meters (about 60 feet). That's massive overkill for a 7-meter (23 foot) New Glenn.

They could easily build a 12 meter or 14 meter monster in there that would make even the 2016 ITS look small.

A flawed way of thinking, IMO. Let me give you an example... The Pad 39A hangar has an opening that is ~12m high (or more) SURELY that means that it was sized to allow processing of a 12m diameter BFR, right?!?!? No.

You always need lots of clearance and extra margins in the factories. You don't squeeze out products that barely fit through external doors.

[Coastal Ron]

They could easily build a 12 meter or 14 meter monster in there that would make even the 2016 ITS look small.

Anticipating building New Armstrong there too?

[jpo234]

Steven C. Smith @WordsmithFL

The ceiling cranes delivered yesterday to the @blueorigin factory. https://t.co/nwaBgwPLvB

One of these: http://www.deshazo.com/cranes/

[TrevorMonty]

They could easily build a 12 meter or 14 meter monster in there that would make even the 2016 ITS look small.

Anticipating building New Armstrong there too?

NA is likely be 3-5 performance of NG, so diameter that will take 21-35 engines. 

[Darkseraph]

They could easily build a 12 meter or 14 meter monster in there that would make even the 2016 ITS look small.

Anticipating building New Armstrong there too?

NA is likely be 3-5 performance of NG, so diameter that will take 21-35 engines.

They could opt to develop larger BE-5engines for New Armstrong. Perhaps F1 scale engines or even larger.

[meberbs]

My god those things are massive...   

Did somebody accidentally spec for fully fueled weight instead of dry weight? lol

Maybe they spec'ed it (and the ceiling height, and the doors) to be big enough for their next rocket..

No.

Scaling from that truck parked just inside, the door height and the hook height on the crane look to be around 18 meters (about 60 feet). That's massive overkill for a 7-meter (23 foot) New Glenn.

They could easily build a 12 meter or 14 meter monster in there that would make even the 2016 ITS look small.

A flawed way of thinking, IMO. Let me give you an example... The Pad 39A hangar has an opening that is ~12m high (or more) SURELY that means that it was sized to allow processing of a 12m diameter BFR, right?!?!? No.

You always need lots of clearance and extra margins in the factories. You don't squeeze out products that barely fit through external doors.

Using the numbers in these posts, Blue's facility (compared to 39A) is about an extra 6m taller for a booster that is an extra 3 m in diameter. seems like these numbers imply they can keep 39A's margins and make a 10m booster. (Actually 39A HIF door seems sized with relatively small margins around the base of the TEL, so your claim and this extrapolation aren't valid)

We know they intend to build a bigger rocket eventually, if they have any clue what size it will be, it makes sense to make this factory big enough to fit it.

[envy887]

My god those things are massive...   

Did somebody accidentally spec for fully fueled weight instead of dry weight? lol

Maybe they spec'ed it (and the ceiling height, and the doors) to be big enough for their next rocket..

No.

Scaling from that truck parked just inside, the door height and the hook height on the crane look to be around 18 meters (about 60 feet). That's massive overkill for a 7-meter (23 foot) New Glenn.

They could easily build a 12 meter or 14 meter monster in there that would make even the 2016 ITS look small.

A flawed way of thinking, IMO. Let me give you an example... The Pad 39A hangar has an opening that is ~12m high (or more) SURELY that means that it was sized to allow processing of a 12m diameter BFR, right?!?!? No.

You always need lots of clearance and extra margins in the factories. You don't squeeze out products that barely fit through external doors.

How is 6 meters of clearance on a 12 meter rocket "squeezing"? That's like saying I can barely squeeze under a 9 foot ceiling because I'm 6 feet tall.

The rocket isn't leaving the manufacturing space on a TEL. It's leaving on a transporter, which is under the rocket and only ~2m tall. A 12 meter rocket would fit as least as well as Delta IV cores fit in Delta Mariner:

[envy887]

My god those things are massive...   

Did somebody accidentally spec for fully fueled weight instead of dry weight? lol

Maybe they spec'ed it (and the ceiling height, and the doors) to be big enough for their next rocket..

No.

Scaling from that truck parked just inside, the door height and the hook height on the crane look to be around 18 meters (about 60 feet). That's massive overkill for a 7-meter (23 foot) New Glenn.

They could easily build a 12 meter or 14 meter monster in there that would make even the 2016 ITS look small.

I think I underestimated the door height. The door is 7.5 semis tall, and a mid-roof semi is about 11 feet without the stacks. That puts the door at 82.5 feet, which matches all too well with the reported "super high bay" height of 82 feet:
http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2016/07/02/nasas-rubins-launching-international-space-station/86595062/

That's 25 meters high, easily enough to build a 15 m diameter vehicle.

[AncientU]

...
Using the numbers in these posts, Blue's facility (compared to 39A) is about an extra 6m taller for a booster that is an extra 3 m in diameter. seems like these numbers imply they can keep 39A's margins and make a 10m booster. (Actually 39A HIF door seems sized with relatively small margins around the base of the TEL, so your claim and this extrapolation aren't valid)
...

If you need to move one booster over another, you need exactly that extra 6m if your boosters are each 3m larger.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Logos up! @BlueOrigin's New Glenn factory at KSC getting close. Across the street, OneWeb facility also coming together.

https://twitter.com/emrekelly/status/925424294821285889

[Beittil]

I really love the look of that building, not just a dull single color like so many others

[FutureSpaceTourist]

In completely different news, the @blueorigin Cape building is having the overhead cranes installed tonight. #thaplaceishuge

https://twitter.com/julia_bergeron/status/926296042605248512

[Nilof]

That door is so tall, that the stack of the first mercury launch could probably be integrated vertically and fit through the door.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

I spy with my @blueorigin eye ... The letters are up over the entrance.

https://twitter.com/wordsmithfl/status/931245548807606273

[meekGee]

Why? Atlas V and Delta IV did. Presumably that customer is going to get a healthy discount.

The customers for the first flight of Ariane V, Delta III, Delta IVH, PSLV, Falcon I, Conestoga, N-1, Europa, Athena 1, Antares 130, SPARK, SS-520-4, Electron, FB-1, CZ-2A, CZ-3, CZ-2E/PKM, CZ-1D, CZ-3B, KT-1, KZ-1T, etc. were not so lucky. Blue Origin should accept some hubris and accept the fact that their first launch will have a high probability of failure and thus should not fly a customers payload.

Surely that's down to the customer? They know it's a first launch. If they want to accept that risk, it's their choice.

Agreed.  As someone who's not really the biggest BO fan, this specific issue is a non-issue.  The customer knows everything that was states up-thread.  If the customer is fine with it, that's all that matters.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Drove by the @blueorigin New Glenn factory at Cape Canaveral today. It seems to be nearly complete. There's also a good view of the facility as you walk up to visit the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

https://twitter.com/nova_road/status/937516451342241792

[BradyKenniston]

I took a drive out to the plant last night. It looks amazing all lit up.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Blue Origin begins moving into massive New Glenn rocket factory at KSC

Emre Kelly | FLORIDA TODAY

Blue Origin has begun the process of moving into its massive rocket factory at Kennedy Space Center's Exploration Park, according to a NASA official's comments during a conference at Port Canaveral this week.

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2017/12/13/blue-origin-officially-moves-into-new-glenn-rocket-factory-ksc-florida/948899001/

[FutureSpaceTourist]

I took a drive out to the plant last night. It looks amazing all lit up.

A good spot by Chris:

Hold on....only took me several hours, but are they launch viewing chairs in the top left? 😲

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/941062401725751296

[Nilof]

Yep.

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2017/12/13/blue-origin-officially-moves-into-new-glenn-rocket-factory-ksc-florida/948899001/

But the factory's proximity to the pad and advances in automation mean teams won't necessarily need a launch control facility on Air Force property – officials expect to use one of the factory's upper-level spaces as a launch control center.

Looks like these launch viewing chairs are there for a reason.

[stcks]

Update on Blue Origin-related barge at Port Canaveral: Fire broke out while subcontractor was cutting weld used to secure new propellant tank. CCAFS crews responded. No injuries or damages. Occurred before Blue Origin took delivery of tank.

https://twitter.com/EmreKelly/status/941361992027295744

Anyone have any idea what barge is being discussed here? interesting.... 

[FutureSpaceTourist]

The moment you know you’ve officially moved into the rocket factory. #NewGlenn

https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/941404308238725120

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[cletus]

Nice view of the lobby from Spaceflight Now:

https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/966109157568008192

Vice President Mike Pence visited Blue Origin’s new rocket factory near the Kennedy Space Center. Blue Origin’s flown New Shepard booster is on display in the lobby.

[Markstark]

It’s beautiful!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Honored @VP and @SecondLady toured our #NewGlenn rocket factory and new home for the historic #NewShepard booster.

https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/966346919067963393

[vaporcobra]

Some nice photos of the interior of the factory from NASA Kennedy's Flickr.

[testguy]

Some nice photos of the interior of the factory from NASA Kennedy's Flickr.

100 ton crane, impressive.
Cable trays are filling up also positive.
A little surprised the interior of the building is as empty as it is.  Had hoped tooling, work benches, etc. would have stared to dress out the building by now. I understand they are two years from flight but would have expected some activity to have stared.

[vaporcobra]

Some nice photos of the interior of the factory from NASA Kennedy's Flickr.

100 ton crane, impressive.
Cable trays are filling up also positive.
A little surprised the interior of the building is as empty as it is.  Had hoped tooling, work benches, etc. would have stared to dress out the building by now. I understand they are two years from flight but would have expected some activity to have stared.

I think 2020 is wildly optimistic for a company that has not yet made it past Mach 4. We'll see...

[envy887]

Some nice photos of the interior of the factory from NASA Kennedy's Flickr.

100 ton crane, impressive.
Cable trays are filling up also positive.
A little surprised the interior of the building is as empty as it is.  Had hoped tooling, work benches, etc. would have stared to dress out the building by now. I understand they are two years from flight but would have expected some activity to have stared.

That looks like less than half the building, the other side is curtained off. If they bothered to wall it off there is probably something interesting back there.

[AncientU]

Nice building.  Any indication if work has started, cars in the parking lots, etc.?  We've heard that they are getting tooling in, anything else?

Also, I don't think two years is crazy for STAs to roll out which will be great to see, but engine testing would have to be flight qualifying this year to make full-up orbital launch in 2020.  Might happen -- no indications they are that close.  On the other hand, Vulcan is planning to launch mid-2020, so it is still possible the engine will be ready.

[Chasm]

That looks like less than half the building, the other side is curtained off. If they bothered to wall it off there is probably something interesting back there.

Their big building consists of has three long halls. The two pictures show the middle hall. First one at 1/4 of the length. Because of perspective the second one is actually 3/4 (Well, the top right corner of the image is) The end should be just out of shot.

Activity is hard to judge. They started occupancy last year. Latest public terraserver image is 2018-01-04
There is a square building on the western limit of the plot, under the pond, wich has been completed in spring 2017 or so. 2016-10 had a slab with steel framing. In 2017-05 it was complete with marked parking spaces, was landscaped and fenced off.


Who is in the new building to the north east, on the other side of the road?
Construction started between 2016-10 and 2017-05 it had a roof in 2017-11.

[envy887]

That looks like less than half the building, the other side is curtained off. If they bothered to wall it off there is probably something interesting back there.

Their big building consists of has three long halls. The two pictures show the middle hall. First one at 1/4 of the length. Because of perspective the second one is actually 3/4 (Well, the top right corner of the image is) The end should be just out of shot.

Activity is hard to judge. They started occupancy last year. Latest public terraserver image is 2018-01-04
There is a square building on the western limit of the plot, under the pond, wich has been completed in spring 2017 or so. 2016-10 had a slab with steel framing. In 2017-05 it was complete with marked parking spaces, was landscaped and fenced off.


Who is in the new building to the north east, on the other side of the road?
Construction started between 2016-10 and 2017-05 it had a roof in 2017-11.

In the second pic you cannot tell whether the 3/4 of the building has anything on the floor, because of that black curtain. Not sure if you can see into that curtained off area in any other pics...

[woods170]

That looks like less than half the building, the other side is curtained off. If they bothered to wall it off there is probably something interesting back there.

Their big building consists of has three long halls. The two pictures show the middle hall. First one at 1/4 of the length. Because of perspective the second one is actually 3/4 (Well, the top right corner of the image is) The end should be just out of shot.

Activity is hard to judge. They started occupancy last year. Latest public terraserver image is 2018-01-04
There is a square building on the western limit of the plot, under the pond, wich has been completed in spring 2017 or so. 2016-10 had a slab with steel framing. In 2017-05 it was complete with marked parking spaces, was landscaped and fenced off.


Who is in the new building to the north east, on the other side of the road?
Construction started between 2016-10 and 2017-05 it had a roof in 2017-11.

In the second pic you cannot tell whether the 3/4 of the building has anything on the floor, because of that black curtain. Not sure if you can see into that curtained off area in any other pics...

Plain and simple: Blue Origin knew that a NASA photographer was to accompany VP Pence. That black curtain was there to hide stuff from public view. Stuff that Blue doesn't want to be viewed by the general public at this stage of NG development.
Think tooling and (prototype) parts and components.

[rory]

Nice building.  Any indication if work has started, cars in the parking lots, etc.?  We've heard that they are getting tooling in, anything else?

Also, I don't think two years is crazy for STAs to roll out which will be great to see, but engine testing would have to be flight qualifying this year to make full-up orbital launch in 2020.  Might happen -- no indications they are that close.  On the other hand, Vulcan is planning to launch mid-2020, so it is still possible the engine will be ready.

The parking lot was nearly full when I went by on 2/8. Hard to tell how many of them were Blue Origin employees and how many were construction workers, however. (Something tells me engineers don't drive that many pickup trucks...)

[Chasm]

Which is why I stressed the corner. 
Looking at aerial images and counting pillars once more there are ~32 total so it is actually only half of the full length.

Why put your machinery into a huge (~230x55 meter) hall with almost full size roll up doors on both ends? That sounds like final assembly/storage/inspection/refit to me.
I think they have the interesting stuff in the side halls. Most of them had a roof as of 2017/03.

The western building however got a LOT more interesting. Take a look at Bing, or 2016/10 images. A mighty funny structure they have in there, right next to the big no parking zone. Each circle happens to be ~7m diameter. On other images you can see them building the frame above it, so it is now an interior structure.

[envy887]

Machinery to lay CRFP and stir weld aluminum at 7 meter diameter doesn't fit in most "side halls"...

[Chasm]

Really? I don't think so.
Lets measure again in Google Earth and with a picture taken square form the north for heights. Only the big stuff

Width overall is on the order of 167 meter. "Left" 65m, center 62m, right (parking lot) 42m.

Length is split up a lot and not of the same overall length.
Center is the longest with 241 meter.
Left, lower is 108m. (This one tallest after center, 25m?)
Left upper is 112m. (This is supposed to be ~half the height of the lower)
Right, lower (looking form the parking lot left of central entry) is 108m
Right, entry is 25m.
Right, upper (looking form the parking lot right of central entry) is 91m

Central height ~33m, crane clearance ~22m, door clearance ~19m (pond side door).
Right height is ~22m (both). Or 9.5 flights of external fire escape stairs, however much that tends to be in Florida.


Even the "small" addition on the south end of the left hall is big enough to transfer first stage into the main hall. 65x14 meter
There is a whole lot of room in the other areas of the factory outside the main section.


The north west building, just the roof of the tall part, is 41m wide, 51m long. The two(?) story part adds another 9m to width. No pictures of this one in a quick search so no height.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Henderson: Blue Origin has invested more than $200M so far for just-completed manufacturing facility and launch complex under construction (LC-36).

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/968591665236725760

[Beittil]

Who is in the new building to the north east, on the other side of the road?
Construction started between 2016-10 and 2017-05 it had a roof in 2017-11.

That would be Oneweb

[Slarty1080]

Wow, I had no idea of what had been happening with New Origins and I was just getting up to speed on the situation on this thread from the start : https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=41146.60
which links here. Someone asked where is the New Glenn going to be Built -  and here it is the whole factory from brown field to finished plant in 18 months or so!

[WindnWar]

I saw the building on my way into the KSC Visitors Center the day after watching Falcon Heavy launch. Was an impressive looking building. At that time there were not a lot of cars in it's parking lot.

[Slarty1080]

I saw the building on my way into the KSC Visitors Center the day after watching Falcon Heavy launch. Was an impressive looking building. At that time there were not a lot of cars in it's parking lot.

Interesting - so do you think they are waiting on something before building NG? I got the impression that it was all underway...

[Jim]

I saw the building on my way into the KSC Visitors Center the day after watching Falcon Heavy launch. Was an impressive looking building. At that time there were not a lot of cars in it's parking lot.

Interesting - so do you think they are waiting on something before building NG? I got the impression that it was all underway...

It is still in design and also need to add tooling to the building

[Inoeth]

I saw the building on my way into the KSC Visitors Center the day after watching Falcon Heavy launch. Was an impressive looking building. At that time there were not a lot of cars in it's parking lot.

Interesting - so do you think they are waiting on something before building NG? I got the impression that it was all underway...

It is still in design and also need to add tooling to the building

Yeah, considering that they just recently (as of January or February- I don't know which month exactly) they changed from using the BE4 U to two BE3U's means that they're still finalizing the design and quite possibly finalizing their BE4 and BE3U development for the rocket, plus, as you said, they need the design finalized before they can bring in all the tooling and begin to build the rockets... SpaceX builds a Falcon 9 in what, a year from starting with raw materials to launch? so I would perhaps guess that BO will need at least a year and a half once design is complete and possibly two to build the very first prototype New Glenn... It's April of 2018 and BO's plan is end of 2020 so at this point I would guess that they need to start bending metal by the middle of this year if they hope to make their debut date.


You said you didn't see many cars on the day after FH back in February- I wonder what it looks like now 2 months later in terms of activity occurring....

[Robotbeat]

Henderson: Blue Origin has invested more than $200M so far for just-completed manufacturing facility and launch complex under construction (LC-36).

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/968591665236725760

SpaceX invested about $100,000 in their BFR factory tent at the LA port that’s housing their tooling.  (I know it’s just for storage, but so hilarious anyway.)

[Craig_VG]

Drove by the manufacturing site today... wow it has definitely come a long way!

Check out the booster inside

[wannamoonbase]

Henderson: Blue Origin has invested more than $200M so far for just-completed manufacturing facility and launch complex under construction (LC-36).

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/968591665236725760

SpaceX invested about $100,000 in their BFR factory tent at the LA port that’s housing their tooling.  (I know it’s just for storage, but so hilarious anyway.)

The picture of LC36 gets me excited, I miss working at CCAFS.  It was my Graceland.

It will be interesting to see if they build a pad that can handle growth of a vehicle or just handle NG.

[Craig_VG]

Here's some photos from similar angles... summer of 2016, 2017, and 2018

[su27k]

Some impressive tooling will be heading to the factory: http://www.rrstar.com/news/20180717/rockford-made-machine-to-build-parts-for-next-generation-rockets (link discovered by reddit)

Ingersoll Machine Tools has built the largest machine of its kind in the world for the world’s richest man — Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, who will use the engineering marvel to build rockets to carry humans to the moon and maybe even Mars.

It took three years to design and manufacture the Sasquatch-sized machine, which stands 51 feet tall, 136 feet long and 43 feet wide. The machine — its trademarked name is Mongoose — will be disassembled in coming weeks and shipped to Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket factory, at Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration Park on Merritt Island, Florida.

There, the machine will be reassembled and will manufacture cryogenic tanks that will be filled with liquid oxygen and hydrogen to fuel rockets. The machine also will build fairings — large aerodynamic structures that encapsulate rocket payloads like satellites and other critical equipment.

it's a fiber placement machine, and they said it will be used to build tanks, does this mean New Glenn will use carbon fiber tank too?

[ncb1397]

Henderson: Blue Origin has invested more than $200M so far for just-completed manufacturing facility and launch complex under construction (LC-36).

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/968591665236725760

SpaceX invested about $100,000 in their BFR factory tent at the LA port that’s housing their tooling.  (I know it’s just for storage, but so hilarious anyway.)

Seems like $500,000 for the tent and a fence:

https://www.portoflosangeles.org/Board/2017/November%202017/111617_Regular_Agenda_Item_I.pdf

And the Blue Origin factory is 38x the size.

[edkyle99]

Some impressive tooling will be heading to the factory: http://www.rrstar.com/news/20180717/rockford-made-machine-to-build-parts-for-next-generation-rockets (link discovered by reddit)

Ingersoll Machine Tools has built the largest machine of its kind in the world for the world’s richest man — Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, who will use the engineering marvel to build rockets to carry humans to the moon and maybe even Mars.

It took three years to design and manufacture the Sasquatch-sized machine, which stands 51 feet tall, 136 feet long and 43 feet wide. The machine — its trademarked name is Mongoose — will be disassembled in coming weeks and shipped to Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket factory, at Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration Park on Merritt Island, Florida.

There, the machine will be reassembled and will manufacture cryogenic tanks that will be filled with liquid oxygen and hydrogen to fuel rockets. The machine also will build fairings — large aerodynamic structures that encapsulate rocket payloads like satellites and other critical equipment.

it's a fiber placement machine, and they said it will be used to build tanks, does this mean New Glenn will use carbon fiber tank too?

It seems possible.  The machine will also build fairings, the story says, and is derived from similar machines made by Ingersoll used to build 787 sections.  Here's a video of a similar Mongoose machine in action.



 - Ed Kyle

[oldAtlas_Eguy]

I find this amusing.

If the NG is indeed a fiber composite cryo tank it will proceeded as an operational LV to that of BFR. Both of which will be large diameter applications. If this is correct this portends the beginning of the end for metal tanks on LVs. With Electron using all composite tanks/structure, BFR, even OmegA using composite case large diameter SRBs, and now it looks like NG as well completes the picture of advanced new designs of LVs (except Vulcan) going in the direction of carbon composite to save vehicle dry weight and improve performance significantly.

For reusable vehicles tank dry weight and it's ability to be reused often with very high strength margins for its weight is the holy grail. So far there is two candidates for this supper light weight tank structure designs: stainless steel balloon tank and carbon composite rigid structure. ULA is using the stainless steel balloon tank design for the Centaur V and follow-on ACES designs for weight and they have significant experience in manufacture and handling it. For others the choice of going with carbon composite yields about the same price point for performance as the stainless steel balloon tank design. It is interesting to note that carbon composite manufacture is mature enough that it yields a superior tank for the same ~costs as a aluminum alloy tank and may even be easier to manufacture for large diameter.

So awaiting the confirmation of whether NG is going to use carbon composite cryo tankage.

[envy887]

Interesting that it says "and hydrogen", with no mention of LNG. If that's accurate, it would be the upper stage at least.

In 2016 Bezos said the factory would have a "large-scale friction stir welding" machine. I can't imagine much use for such a machine on a rocket with carbon fiber tanks.

[Chasm]

Sounds like upper stage / fairing to me.

Main reason is that it seems a bit short for the first stage.

[LouScheffer]

So far there is two candidates for this supper light weight tank structure designs: stainless steel balloon tank and carbon composite rigid structure.

Perhaps this should go under "advanced concepts", but a carbon fiber balloon tank could have an amazing mass fraction.  Carbon fiber is lighter and stronger than stainless steel, and if you can keep it purely in tension, as in a balloon tank, you can use these properties to the full.

[brickmack]

As of 2016 New Glenn was said to use friction stir welding. Since this only mentions hydrogen and oxygen, most likely the first stage is still metallic. Also, its a bit of a reach given the image quality, but I found this cutaway picture which seems to show metallic first stage tanks and a composite second stage

[Markstark]

Definitely not the best pics