Is the lack of launches due to lack of customer interest (ready to fly but no takers) or lack of Blue Origin readiness (lots of interest but not ready to fly yet)?
Quote from: Slarty1080 on 01/19/2019 02:59 pmIs the lack of launches due to lack of customer interest (ready to fly but no takers) or lack of Blue Origin readiness (lots of interest but not ready to fly yet)?As usual with new launchers, vast majority of the market shows little interest until it has actually flown at least once or twice. Salespeople have to reaaaally work on those first contracts - usually with hefty discounts.
NASA awards Blue Origin with a launch service contract for its New Glenn rocket, "with an ordering period through June 2025 and an overall period of performance through December 2027."
Dec. 16, 2020CONTRACT RELEASE C20-033NASA Awards Launch Services Contract to Blue Origin for New Glenn Launch ServicesNASA has awarded a NASA Launch Services (NLS) II contract to Blue Origin and their New Glenn launch service in accordance with the contract’s on-ramp provision. The New Glenn launch service will be available to NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) to use for future missions in accordance with the on-ramp provision of NLS II. The NLS II is a multiple-supplier, multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract vehicle with an ordering period through June 2025 and an overall period of performance through December 2027. Each supplier that is a part of NLS II has its own individual contract with LSP. The NLS II on-ramp provision provides an opportunity annually for new launch service providers to be added as a potential supplier and to compete for future NASA missions. The on-ramp provision also allows existing NLS II launch service providers to introduce launch vehicles not currently on its NLS II contract.NLS II contractors must have the ability to successfully launch and deliver a payload to orbit using a domestic launch service capable of placing, at minimum, a 250 kg (551 lb.) payload into a 200 km (124 mile) circular orbit at an inclination of 28.5 degrees.The NLS II contracts support the goals and objectives of the agency's Science Mission Directorate, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, and the Space Technology Mission Directorate. Under the contract, NASA can also provide launch services to other government agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.For more information about NASA’s Launch Services Program, visit:https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/index.html-end-
The context here is that, while there isn't money attached to this specific contract award, it opens the door to Blue Origin bidding New Glenn on future NASA missions under the Launch Services Program.
NEWS DEC 16, 2020NASA SELECTS BLUE ORIGIN’S NEW GLENN ROCKET FOR LAUNCH SERVICES CATALOGToday, NASA awarded Blue Origin a NASA Launch Services II (NLS II) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to launch planetary, Earth observation, exploration, and scientific satellites for the agency aboard New Glenn, Blue Origin’s orbital reusable launch vehicle. The contract allows Blue Origin to compete for missions through Launch Service Task Orders issued by NASA. Project managers at NASA Centers around the country can now design spacecraft to take advantage of New Glenn’s unique seven-meter fairing and heavy-lift performance for a broad range of missions. “We are proud to be in NASA’s launch services catalog and look forward to providing reliable launches for future NASA missions aboard New Glenn for years to come. The award builds on Blue Origin’s existing partnership with NASA and will advance science and exploration to benefit Earth,” said Jarrett Jones, senior vice president, New Glenn, Blue Origin. New Glenn is a single-configuration, operationally reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle powered by seven BE-4 liquefied natural gas rocket engines. The vehicle’s seven-meter fairing provides more than double the usable volume of any existing launch vehicle.
NASA has awarded Blue Origin "a task order" to provide launch service for the agency’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission.ESCAPADE will launch on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket from SLC-36. Launch is targeted for late 2024.
Feb 9, 2023CONTRACT RELEASE C23-008NASA Selects Blue Origin to Launch Mars’ Magnetosphere Study MissionNASA has awarded Blue Origin, LLC of Kent, Washington a task order to provide launch service for the agency’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission as part of the agency's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract.ESCAPADE will launch on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket from Space Launch Complex-36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Launch is targeted for late 2024. Blue Origin is one of 13 companies NASA selected for VADR contracts in 2022. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, manages the VADR contracts. As part of VADR, the fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts have a five-year ordering period with a maximum total value of $300 million across all contracts. ESCAPADE will study Mars’ magnetosphere – the magnetized area of space around the planet – using two identical small spacecraft, which will provide simultaneous two-point observations. The spacecraft will help provide researchers a better understanding of how the magnetosphere interacts with the solar wind, and how energy and plasma enter and leave the magnetosphere. Each satellite will carry three instruments: a magnetometer for measuring magnetic field, an electrostatic analyzer to measure ions and electrons, and a Langmuir probe for measuring plasma density and solar extreme ultraviolet flux.It will take ESCAPADE about 11 months to arrive at Mars after leaving Earth’s orbit, where both spacecraft will spend several months adjusting their orbits before they are in position to best capture data about the magnetosphere. Studying different magnetospheres gives scientists a better understanding of space weather, which can protect astronauts and satellites both as they orbit Earth and explore the solar system. ESCAPADE is part of the NASA Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration program.Building on NASA's previous procurement efforts to foster development of new launch vehicles for NASA payloads, VADR provides FAA-licensed commercial launch services for payloads that can tolerate higher risk. By using a lower level of mission assurance, and commercial best practices for launching rockets, these highly flexible contracts help broaden access to space through lower launch costs.-end-
We’re honored to have been selected by @NASA_LSP to launch the ESCAPADE science mission on #NewGlenn. With ESCAPADE, NASA will study Mars’ magnetosphere. Learn more:
NEWS | FEB 9, 2023NASA Awards Mars Science Mission Launch to Blue Origin’s New GlennToday, NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) awarded Blue Origin’s New Glenn the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) contract. ESCAPADE is part of the NASA Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program; it is a dual spacecraft mission to study Mars’ magnetosphere.ESCAPADE is a twin-spacecraft Class D mission that will study solar wind energy transfer through Mars’ unique hybrid magnetosphere. Providing launch service for ESCAPADE is a task order under NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. Blue Origin was on-ramped to the NASA VADR launch services Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract on January 26, 2022, with a five-year period of performance.“ESCAPADE follows a long tradition of NASA Mars science and exploration missions, and we’re thrilled NASA’s Launch Services Program has selected New Glenn to launch the instruments that will study Mars’ magnetosphere,” said Jarrett Jones, senior vice president, New Glenn, Blue Origin.
https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1623822745816518657QuoteWe’re honored to have been selected by @NASA_LSP to launch the ESCAPADE science mission on #NewGlenn. With ESCAPADE, NASA will study Mars’ magnetosphere. Learn more: https://www.blueorigin.com/news/nasa-awards-mars-science-mission-launch-to-blue-origin-new-glenn/QuoteNEWS | FEB 9, 2023NASA Awards Mars Science Mission Launch to Blue Origin’s New GlennToday, NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) awarded Blue Origin’s New Glenn the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) contract. ESCAPADE is part of the NASA Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program; it is a dual spacecraft mission to study Mars’ magnetosphere.ESCAPADE is a twin-spacecraft Class D mission that will study solar wind energy transfer through Mars’ unique hybrid magnetosphere. Providing launch service for ESCAPADE is a task order under NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. Blue Origin was on-ramped to the NASA VADR launch services Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract on January 26, 2022, with a five-year period of performance.“ESCAPADE follows a long tradition of NASA Mars science and exploration missions, and we’re thrilled NASA’s Launch Services Program has selected New Glenn to launch the instruments that will study Mars’ magnetosphere,” said Jarrett Jones, senior vice president, New Glenn, Blue Origin.
Does anybody know how much ESCAPADE will cost to launch?
Quote from: matthewkantar on 02/10/2023 01:39 amDoes anybody know how much ESCAPADE will cost to launch?Eric Berger estimates that "the rocket will be 2x or 3x the cost the spacecraft itself," although that's likely speculation. I found this paper which mentions that the total budget "including launch vehicle and all reserves" is $78.5 million, although this other article says that missions funded under the SIMPLEx program (as ESCAPADE is) have a cost cap of $55 million. Either way, take 2/3–3/4 of those numbers (based on Eric's estimate) and that's Blue Origin's piece of the pie.
I think you're mixing up cost and price, and it's not clear which one matthewkantar is asking for either.Berger's 2x or 3x is the cost of New Glenn (to Blue Origin), which he guessed in the past to be around $200M, thus 2x to 3x of the spacecraft cost which is around $55M. Of course if they can recover and reuse the first stage then the cost of the launch wouldn't be so high.The price Blue Origin bid to win this contract is likely significantly lower than this, my guess would be around $20M in order to beat the price of 2x 1-ton class LV launches (ESCAPADE is two spacecrafts, 90kg each, my guess is each one will need its own launch if you use 1-ton class LV).
