Author Topic: Blue Origin May 9 Announcement: What do you think it’s about? (Read 7283 times)

Bubbinski · « **on:** 04/26/2019 10:10 pm »

All right, what do you think Blue Origin will be announcing on May 9th after that tweet with the Endurance in the ice floes of Antarctica (Shackleton’s expedition)?

ChrisWilson68 · « **Reply #1 on:** 04/26/2019 10:50 pm »

There's already another thread on this:

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=48042.msg1940432#msg1940432

Bubbinski · « **Reply #2 on:** 04/26/2019 11:14 pm »

I understand there is another thread, but it doesn’t have a poll.

Comga · « **Reply #3 on:** 04/27/2019 05:12 am »

Other: They'll show some real spaceflight hardware.
Nah. That's crazy talk. Just kidding.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #4 on:** 04/27/2019 11:32 am »

Ice giant solar sail mission from BO!? What did I miss?

Lar · « **Reply #5 on:** 04/27/2019 02:36 pm »

(mod) We will merge the threads as appropriate. For now carry on.
(fan) I voted for the obvious answer. Surprised that it has as low a margin of plurality as it does. I thought you guys were cleverererer than that....

ZachS09 · « **Reply #6 on:** 04/28/2019 02:35 am »

Quote from: Lar on 04/27/2019 02:36 pm

(mod) We will merge the threads as appropriate. For now carry on.
(fan) I voted for the obvious answer. Surprised that it has as low a margin of plurality as it does. I thought you guys were cleverererer than that....

What was the "obvious answer"?

Alpha Control · « **Reply #7 on:** 04/28/2019 02:54 am »

Of the choices listed I went with what I consider as a conservative vote - the lunar lander design. To me even that would be exciting.

They've got the resources to surprise us, but I'm leaning on the "gradatim" side for now.

GWH · « **Reply #8 on:** 04/28/2019 03:12 am »

Quote from: ZachS09 on 04/28/2019 02:35 am

Quote from: Lar on 04/27/2019 02:36 pm
(mod) We will merge the threads as appropriate. For now carry on.
(fan) I voted for the obvious answer. Surprised that it has as low a margin of plurality as it does. I thought you guys were cleverererer than that....

What was the "obvious answer"?

- They showed a picture of a ship from a South Pole exhibition, it was led by Earnest Shackleton.
- There is a crater on the Lunar south pole named after him for that reason.
- That crater has permanent light at the rim, and permanent shade inside, + water.
- That same crater has had an energy company proposing to mine there name after it.
- Jeff Bezos has said himself the lander they are developing could return ice from there.
- NASA has just announced they want to land on the moon by 2024.
- NASA wants to go to the south pole, beside Shackleton crater is one potential target.
- NASA wants commercial providers of lander hardware, more details coming May 25
- Blue Origin is currently hiring for their Blue Moon lander project.
- Blue Moon was first made public 2 years ago, without much detail at the time.

Lar · « **Reply #9 on:** 04/28/2019 05:05 am »

Quote from: GWH on 04/28/2019 03:12 am

<snip>

Yup! I wish them all the best of luck.

jebbo · « **Reply #10 on:** 04/28/2019 09:39 am »

Quote from: GWH on 04/28/2019 03:12 am

<snipetty, snip>

Completely agree with the logic, but the pessimistic part of me won (unusually) and I voted for the least exciting thing I could think of (announcement of crewed New Shepard)

--- Tony

Zed_Noir · « **Reply #11 on:** 04/29/2019 12:28 pm »

If you think about it.

Blue Origin already have a pseudo-prototype expendable robotic lunar lander in the New Sheppard booster.

Swap out the BE-3 with a BE-3U then stripped all fittings for lifting a capsule and Atmospheric flight controls along with maybe some sort of nosecone fairing. Add some retractable solar arrays on the top.

Payload would be carry on the opposite sides of the vehicle on deployment booms with optional sponson fairings.

Hopefully launched on the New Glenn inside it's huge fairing, but could switch to Falcon Heavy or Vulcan Heavy with nose and sponson fairings.

My minimal path for Blue Origin to land something hefty on the the Moon the soonest.

seawolfe · « **Reply #12 on:** 04/29/2019 12:39 pm »

I voted "OTHER, PLEASE SPECIFY" because it's my thinking the BO will FINALLY launch SOMETHING that will go higher than sub orbital height.

spacenut · « **Reply #13 on:** 04/29/2019 12:51 pm »

I hope it is a reusable lunar lander that can be delivered to the moon by New Glenn. Probably one ran on hydrolox using moon water as fuel. This would support LOP-G for NASA.

Inoeth · « **Reply #14 on:** 04/30/2019 02:37 pm »

Quote from: seawolfe on 04/29/2019 12:39 pm

I voted "OTHER, PLEASE SPECIFY" because it's my thinking the BO will FINALLY launch SOMETHING that will go higher than sub orbital height.

That will happen, but not for this May announcement- the New Glenn will fly, but not for another 2-3 years from now...

I voted for the Lander and plan to go to Shackleton, but I won't be surprised if it's just their lander and nothing else...

Part of me wonders if Jeff wants to upstage Elon and have the debut mission of New Glenn do this mission with their lander to the moon, tho the 'Gradatim' part of their motto says that's unlikely in the extreme...

high road · « **Reply #15 on:** 05/09/2019 09:28 pm »

Quote from: Lar on 04/27/2019 02:36 pm

(mod) We will merge the threads as appropriate. For now carry on.
(fan) I voted for the obvious answer. Surprised that it has as low a margin of plurality as it does. I thought you guys were cleverererer than that....

unless I missed something in the updates up to this point, we were cleverererer enough to never expect too much from blue origin. Like now, I like the design, but given the scant updates on NS and NG timelines, i don't expect to see the hardware for a very long time.

Lar · « **Reply #16 on:** 05/10/2019 04:46 am »

The mission to Shackleton Crater wasn't formally announced. So 55% of us got the lander right but overestimated what they actually announced. I for one (as part of the 55%) was not as cleverererish as I thought.

Bubbinski · « **Reply #17 on:** 05/11/2019 01:21 am »

Same here Lar....I wasn’t as “cleverer” either. The first option (lunar lander only) turned out to be correct. Ah well.

ZachS09 · « **Reply #18 on:** 05/11/2019 01:56 am »

Well, I was partially right in my choice. They said the first New Shepard crewed flight would be later this year.

Poll

What is Blue Origin going to announce on May 9, 2019?

Author Topic: Blue Origin May 9 Announcement: What do you think it’s about? (Read 7283 times)