Author Topic: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread  (Read 16215 times)

Offline Prober

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Blue Origin, though, does expect to start carrying uncrewed research payloads on New Shepard later this year. The company has been working with researchers at Purdue University, the University of Central Florida and Louisiana State University to provide initial “pathfinder” experiments that will fly on the vehicle. “We hope to fly those payloads this year,”

http://spacenews.com/blue-origin-to-ramp-up-new-shepard-tests/#sthash.F1CzDZgZ.dpuf[/font][/size]

Any info on these "pathfinder" payloads? 
They must be far along in the process if they will be launched some time this year.

Edit: some cleanup
« Last Edit: 01/27/2016 03:16 pm by Prober »
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Offline sanman

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #1 on: 01/26/2016 04:21 pm »
Any info on these "pathfinder" payloads?
They must be far along in the process if they will be launched some time this year.

There's this:

https://engineering.purdue.edu/AAE/People/Faculty/showFaculty?resource_id=1370

Quote
Steven H. Collicott

Research Areas

Low-gravity fluid dynamics and capillary fluid physics are the focus of two-phase fluids research. A collaborative aero-elastic study of failures of High-Mast Lighting Towers is underway, led by Professor Connor in Purdue’s School of Civil Engineering. Sprays and internal flows in spray systems plus oil-air flows in turbine engines remain of interest too.


Capillary effects dominate liquid positioning in the weightless portions of spaceflight and in small-scale two-phase fluids systems on Earth. Beginning with work in support of the Gravity Probe-B satellite in 1993, Professor Collicott has become the leading expert in the use of the capillary fluids statics code, Surface Evolver, for both research and real-world engineering in two-phase fluids problems. Research includes designing the “Vane-Gap” experiments for the Capillary Fluids Experiment (CFE) presently in the second set of tests in orbit in the International Space Station, exploring the existence and stability of water droplets in lung passages, designing and building a three-dimensional critical wetting experiment - one of the first experiments to fly on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, and many others. Engineering solutions that have grown from research include the best on-orbit propellant-gauging service available for satellites and presently available for owners and operators of satellites.

Also this:

https://fsi.ucf.edu/person/joshua-colwell/

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Joshua Colwell
Assistant Director
...
He was selected as one of three Principal Investigators in Blue Origin’s Pathfinder Program to fly the Microgravity Experiment on Dust in Astrophysical Environments on their New Shepard launch vehicle.


Summary:

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2010/12/21/suborbital-spotlight-blue-origins-shepard/

Quote
EXPERIMENTS
Blue Origin is currently working with several universities on a Phase 1 Research Flight Demonstration Program. The purpose of this program is to serve as a pathfinder, demonstrating the integration and operation of scientific experiments during unmanned test flights of the New Shepard system to high altitudes. The selected experiments are:
- Three-Dimensional Critical Wetting Experiment in Microgravity. The principal investigator of this effort is Dr. Steven Collicott, of Purdue University.
- Microgravity Experiment on Dust Environments in Astrophysics (MEDEA). The principal investigator of this effort is Dr. Joshua Colwell, of the University of Central Florida. The Southwest Research Institute is also contributing to this experiment.
- Effective lnterfacial Tension lnduced Convection (EITIC). The principal investigator of this effort is Dr. John Pojman, of Louisiana State University. Professor Patrick Bunton of William Jewell College is also contributing to this experiment.
« Last Edit: 01/26/2016 04:55 pm by sanman »

Offline Rik ISS-fan

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #2 on: 01/27/2016 12:34 pm »
Might there be an intrest at universities and High schools for Nanolab payloads on Blue Origin Zero gravity flights?
How difficult would it be to design the Payload that can accommodate this?

Offline Rik ISS-fan

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #3 on: 02/11/2016 11:14 pm »
I don't know if there has been written about the Second Nanoracks Conference, at Leiden, the Netherlands, last December, on another BlueOrigin topic. Erika Wagner from BlueOrigin gave a presentation about their payload service at that conference. Lots of interesting info was presented, it can be found on the Nanoracks website.
 (finally you something happens when you submit your name and E-mail.)

The mission schedule was presented. The capsule will be occupied for at least five days with one flight.
The schedule starts at L-3 days with a briefing, payload preparation and payload system check.
At L-2 days normal experiments will be installed inside the capsule, a functional check is executed and the capsule is mated to the booster. At T-1day the Pre-Flight briefing takes place.
At launch day (L-0) untill two hours before launch the payloads can be accessed (they try to improve this to T-30min).
Upon request the earliest opportunity to get the payloads again is 20 minutes after capsule safing. Normal payloads will get acces four to eight hours after safing, when the capsule is returned to the Vehicle Processing Facility.
The two days after launch the payloads are removed from the capsules and the experiment teams depart from the launch site.

In another presentation it is stated that the G-loads are between 2-4G (normal Launch loads). And that there are multiple flight opportunities per week. So multiple capsules are required.

Now the question is will BlueOrigin try the boosters with the same cadence as the capsules, or if they use one booster for multiple capsules. (I think that's unlikely) Or if they need more time to re-certify the boosters so they use multiple boosters per capsule. I think the first is the likeliest and the preferred approach.
The second question is how many times will one capsule and one Booster fly, I think it's about ten times before a thorough inspection of all components have to take place. The engine has started 20 times and has run for more that an hour. And the capsule has experienced ten atmospheric to near vacuum pressure cycles and ten landings.

All in all I think it's an real good service BlueOrigin is trying to offer with New Shepard. I think it even has the possibility to increase the amount of science that can be done on the ISS, because experiments for the ISS could be tested on the New Shepard.

Have fun reading trough the presentation.  ;)

Offline Prober

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #4 on: 02/12/2016 04:45 pm »
Might there be an intrest at universities and High schools for Nanolab payloads on Blue Origin Zero gravity flights?
How difficult would it be to design the Payload that can accommodate this?


I put the request in L2 some time ago


Blue’s payload users guide and interface control documents are really well developed,”

« Last Edit: 02/12/2016 08:14 pm by Prober »
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Offline Kansan52

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #5 on: 02/12/2016 06:12 pm »
When the New Shepherd launch vehicle crashed last year, Blue stated that other launch vehicles were in production. So they have some number of capsules and LVs in mind.

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #6 on: 06/04/2017 06:27 pm »
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Erika Wagner, Blue Origin: fly student payloads on New Shepard suborbital vehicle for a cost starting at $5,300. #DPSS17

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/871406586429702144

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It’s the price for a specific package for educational payloads.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/871413714947162112

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #7 on: 07/18/2017 07:44 pm »
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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 Rik ISS-fan

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #8 on: 07/19/2017 02:52 pm »
Does someone have any inside information on what is preventing BlueOrigin from launching New Shepard with payloads?
My guess is; that FAA hasn't given an operational licance jet. Their experimental licence has expired, and I think BO has accomplished their landing procedure test objectives with the first two New Shepard systems.
Is BO not allowed to sell payload suborbital launches, without an operational licence?

Or are there performance issues with the New Shepard system that prevent BO from selling enough payload slots? If I'm not mistaken NS hasn't launched with more than 200lb of payloads. The launches reached just over 300 000ft, giving 3 minutes microgravity. Their landing procedure seems to have some performance margin (very slow last couple off feet untill touchdown). Can't they take enough payloads to close the business case. Or do most payloads require much longer microgravity time?
Or could the level o f micro gravity be insufficient?

I really hope it's the launch licence that's preventing New Sheperd flights.


Offline Steven Pietrobon

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #9 on: 07/20/2017 06:33 am »
I think the most likely reason for the delay is that Blue is busy getting the next New Shepard launch vehicle and capsule ready for flight.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #10 on: 08/28/2017 11:10 pm »
FAA has now issued a revised New Shepherd launch license that permits carrying of passive or active payloads.
« Last Edit: 08/31/2017 12:24 am by FutureSpaceTourist »

Online gongora

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #11 on: 08/29/2017 03:48 am »
FAA has now issued a revised New Shepherd launch license that permits carrying of passive or active payloads.

Isn't this their first launch license?  The earlier flights should have been under an experimental flight permit.

Offline deruch

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #12 on: 08/30/2017 11:06 pm »
This clears the way for them to host paying customers, which they were barred from doing while still flying under the experimental permit.  Under the permit they could fly payloads but not for compensation.
Shouldn't reality posts be in "Advanced concepts"?  --Nomadd

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #13 on: 10/10/2017 02:22 pm »
Quote
Solstar plans give Blue Origin payloads access to the internet
by Debra Werner — October 10, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO — Early next year, Solstar Space plans to demonstrate the first commercial internet link in space by connecting experimental payloads traveling in Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital capsules with researchers on the ground.

http://spacenews.com/solstar-plans-give-blue-origin-payloads-access-to-the-internet/

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #14 on: 01/27/2018 01:49 pm »
Quote
ASU student payloads selected to fly on Blue Origin space vehicle
January 25, 2018

Three Arizona State University student-led payload projects have been selected to launch into space on Blue Origin’s "New Shepard" space vehicle later this year.

The projects were selected during a competitive pitching competition Monday night at the School of Earth and Space Exploration. To earn a spot on "New Shepard," students were challenged to do one of three things for their payload project: answer a science question, test technology development, or engage the five senses (smell, taste, sight, touch, sound) in space.

The pitching competition was organized by ASU’s Interplanetary Initiative, a pan-university effort to build the future of humans in space, and ASU’s NewSpace, which is leading the integration of academic and commercial space enterprises using ASU’s strengths in space science, engineering, and education. A major partner in the event and the project is Blue Origin, the rocket company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

One team from each of the three categories was selected for a prize spot on "New Shepard." The winning teams, comprised of students from both the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and the School of Earth and Space Exploration, will be designing and building the payloads at ASU.

The three teams selected for launch are, by category: Particle Interactions in Microgravity (science category), Remote Acoustic Sensor (technology category), and Space Devils (five senses in space category).

“This competition provides ASU students the unique opportunity to design their own payloads from the ground up and actually fly them into space on a state-of-the-art reusable rocket,” said Interplanetary Initiative’s Tanya Harrison, who is a post-doctoral scholar at the School of Earth and Space Exploration.

“We wanted to see what they came up with on their own from there, and we were thrilled to see the results of their ingenuity and imagination,” said Harrison, who is also the project lead for the Blue Origin/ASU payload project and the director of research for NewSpace.

The competition's judges, which included space industry representatives, academic professionals and local venture capitalists, were Erika Wagner from Blue Origin, Robert Anchondo from Honeywell Aerospace, Fred von Graf from Web3Mavens, Shawn Linham from Qwaltec and Dean Bacalzo, ASU assistant professor of industrial design.

The payloads are expected to launch in late 2018 from the Blue Origin Facility in west Texas, approximately two hours east of El Paso. The "New Shepard" vertical takeoff and landing vehicle is capable of carrying hundreds of pounds of payload per flight and is ultimately expected to carry six astronauts to altitudes beyond 100 kilometers, the internationally recognized boundary of space.

“This competition shows that the opportunity exists for ASU students to design, build and fly in space,” said Pete Swan, Interplanetary Initiative team member and space industry expert. “In the past it’s been rare, but now it can be a part of the experience of being a student at ASU.”

https://asunow.asu.edu/20180125-asu-student-payloads-selected-fly-blue-origin-space-vehicle

Quote
The winning payloads and teams

Five senses category project winner: Space Devils


The Space Devils “Five Senses” payload will focus on measuring and collecting data on sight, smell, taste, touch and sound in space. It has, as its centerpiece, an ASU Sparky figure attached to a spring. During ascent and decent, Sparky will be pushed up and down, creating the illusion that Sparky is doing push-ups, which will be measured by an accelerometer. A camera will record the push-ups, a microphone will capture the sounds of the spaceflight, and air will be pulled into the payload and passed through scent paper to capture the smell of space.

Members of the team include Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering (mechanical engineering) undergrads: Cody Bisbing, Gabby Bovaird, Clint Farnsworth, Josh Fixel, Peter Marple and Landon Wiltbank. The lead faculty mentor for this team is Abdelraham Shuaib of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.

Technology category project winner: Remote Acoustic Sensor

For humans to live in space, agricultural development will be necessary, and bees, as master pollinators, will likely be an essential part of successful crops. But how do bees react in space? This project will use the emerging technology of remote acoustic sensing to capture acoustic data from the bees, as well as to record the vibrations, pressures, and orientation in space.

Members of the team include Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering (electrical engineering) undergrads Bryan Trinidad, David Bates, Roland Lizana and Logan Sisca. The lead faculty mentors for this team are Michael Goryll of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and Danny Jacobs with the School of Earth and Space Exploration. This student team consists entirely of online students spread across the country, as well as one student, Trinidad, who is working aboard a naval vessel in the Persian Gulf. While team communication can be done online, the team also ships the payload around the world to work on it.

Science category project winner: Particle Interactions in Microgravity

This project seeks to test the agglomeration of small particles, ranging from millimeter to centimeter in size, as they make collisions in microgravity, helping us to understand how planets form.

Members of the team include School of Earth and Space Exploration undergraduates Pat Jackson (exploration systems design), Jason Pickering (astrophysics), Chris Huglin (exploration systems design), Jin Kim (astrophysics), Kevin White (astrobiology), Kanishka Nirmale (astrophysics) and Mitchell Drake (explorations systems design). The lead faculty mentor for this team is Chris Groppi, with the School of Earth and Space Exploration.

Offline deruch

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #15 on: 01/29/2018 03:56 am »
Quote
students were challenged to do one of three things ... or engage the five senses (smell, taste, sight, touch, sound) in space.

That seems like a no-brainer.  If I was a student, I would propose to launch myself and eat a corned beef sandwich.  Congress be damned.
Shouldn't reality posts be in "Advanced concepts"?  --Nomadd

Offline deruch

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #16 on: 01/29/2018 10:31 pm »
Didn't realize it hadn't been linked in here previously, but NanoRacks has a webpage up showing their offerings for Suborbital Payload Services they offer on New Shepard:  http://nanoracks.com/products/suborbital-services/ 

Quote
NanoRacks is now offering integration, payload development and customer services to Blue Origin’s New Shepard space vehicle.

The New Shepard space vehicle is ideal for microgravity physics, gravitational biology, technology demonstrations, and educational programs. You’ll also have the opportunity to research Earth, atmospheric, and space sciences, land use, technology development and demonstration/space systems development.

NanoRacks offers complete in-house capabilities for the New Shepard space vehicle integration, payload design and development, interfacing with Blue Origin’s technical team. Everything necessary for a successful suborbital launch is taken care of by our team.

Primary Capabilities Include:

    -Ability to frequently launch your payloads, and ultimately payload operators, to space on a suborbital trajectory
    -A high volume cabin able to accommodate multiple experiments and ultimately, researchers
    -Standard interfaces to mount experiments and provide power, cooling, command and control, and video/data recording
    -Rapid post-landing access by ground personnel to time-sensitive payloads

Mission Highlights:

    -Multiple flights per year
    -As human flights begin, you’ll also be able to fly with your payload for hands-on experimentation
    -You own full rights to your data from Blue Origin’s private platform
    -Accommodates payloads from a few ounces up to 50 lbs

Plus there's some other advert flyers and links on the page.  Some of the info may be a bit out of date, certainly the frequency of flights has been so far.
« Last Edit: 01/29/2018 10:33 pm by deruch »
Shouldn't reality posts be in "Advanced concepts"?  --Nomadd

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #17 on: 07/10/2020 09:41 pm »
https://twitter.com/nasa_langley/status/1281667259539357698

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Researchers at Langley have successfully completed the optical head vibration testing for Navigation Doppler Lidar, a key #Artemis lunar landing technology. It's now ready for integration on to @blueorigin's New Shepard launch vehicle for a flight demo.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/langley/langley-researchers-are-shaking-up-lunar-landing-technology

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Blue Origin New Shepard Payload Discussion Thread
« Reply #18 on: 09/18/2020 02:02 pm »
twitter.com/jimbridenstine/status/1306950699733774336

Quote
Technology can provide spacecraft with the "eyes" and analytical capability to find a landing area, identify hazards & adjust course to the safest touchdown site. @NASA will test a new lunar landing system with @BlueOrigin on an upcoming suborbital flight: https://go.nasa.gov/3c9DH5S

https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1306955741383852034

Quote
Very cool flight tests coming…we look forward to #NewShepard flying these lunar landing technologies soon.

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/NASA_Technology_Enables_Precision_Landing_Without_a_Pilot/

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Three of SPLICE’s four main subsystems will have their first integrated test flight on a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket during an upcoming mission
« Last Edit: 09/18/2020 02:06 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

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