Here's my conversation with @jeffbezos, founder of Amazon and Blue Origin. This is his first time doing a long-form conversation of this kind, and it was an epic one.It's here on X in full & is up on YouTube, Spotify, and everywhere else.Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction0:24 - Texas ranch and childhood4:02 - Space exploration and rocket engineering16:36 - Physics26:10 - New Glenn rocket1:08:59 - Lunar program1:18:55 - Amazon1:36:16 - Principles1:54:56 - Productivity2:05:34 - Future of humanity
Which future NASA mission to be launched in the next 5-10 years, do you think can be contracted with the New Glenn?
Quote from: Tywin on 01/08/2024 12:54 pmWhich future NASA mission to be launched in the next 5-10 years, do you think can be contracted with the New Glenn?As far as I'm aware there are a few Explorer's program missions that don't have a LV assigned but these are small satellites that are usually rideshares or small sat launchers. JPSS-3 (2026) is another candidate that doesn't have a LV assigned. The next flagship mission would probably be Dragonfly but I'd think that'll be awarded soon and am not expecting New Glenn to win it. I could see them compete for DAVINCI though.
Quote from: AndrewM on 03/01/2024 01:54 amQuote from: Tywin on 01/08/2024 12:54 pmWhich future NASA mission to be launched in the next 5-10 years, do you think can be contracted with the New Glenn?As far as I'm aware there are a few Explorer's program missions that don't have a LV assigned but these are small satellites that are usually rideshares or small sat launchers. JPSS-3 (2026) is another candidate that doesn't have a LV assigned. The next flagship mission would probably be Dragonfly but I'd think that'll be awarded soon and am not expecting New Glenn to win it. I could see them compete for DAVINCI though.Yeahh DA Vinci, and Veritas they have a big opportunity...Maybe for the future Uranus Orbiter too...Other thing, Blue already have a agreement to launch Eutelsat satellites, and Oneweb belong to they now...Maybe some Oneweb satellites can be launched in New Glenn...[zubenelgenubi: I combined three immediately successive posts by Tywin into one.]
Quote from: Comga on 02/10/2023 05:14 amQuote from: su27k on 02/10/2023 03:51 amQuote from: trimeta on 02/10/2023 03:22 amDo you have a source for the spacecraft cost being $55 million, other than that being the price cap for SIMPLEx missions? It's in NASA budget request.Launch costs wouldn’t be included in these mission allocations and budget requests and projections.It doesn’t appear possible to derive the budget for ESCAPADE from these numbers, partly because it doesn’t say if any spending preceded it (which someone here knows) but if the budget cap of $55M is assumed for design and construction, the money is almost all spent already. After this the budget goes into operations or storage costs early in FY ‘23, which is soon if not now.But by their own statements, NG won’t even debut in FY ‘24.How does this award work with this schedule?So you know the future?
Quote from: su27k on 02/10/2023 03:51 amQuote from: trimeta on 02/10/2023 03:22 amDo you have a source for the spacecraft cost being $55 million, other than that being the price cap for SIMPLEx missions? It's in NASA budget request.Launch costs wouldn’t be included in these mission allocations and budget requests and projections.It doesn’t appear possible to derive the budget for ESCAPADE from these numbers, partly because it doesn’t say if any spending preceded it (which someone here knows) but if the budget cap of $55M is assumed for design and construction, the money is almost all spent already. After this the budget goes into operations or storage costs early in FY ‘23, which is soon if not now.But by their own statements, NG won’t even debut in FY ‘24.How does this award work with this schedule?
Quote from: trimeta on 02/10/2023 03:22 amDo you have a source for the spacecraft cost being $55 million, other than that being the price cap for SIMPLEx missions? It's in NASA budget request.
Do you have a source for the spacecraft cost being $55 million, other than that being the price cap for SIMPLEx missions?
Quote from: Tywin on 02/10/2023 11:49 amQuote from: Comga on 02/10/2023 05:14 amQuote from: su27k on 02/10/2023 03:51 amQuote from: trimeta on 02/10/2023 03:22 amDo you have a source for the spacecraft cost being $55 million, other than that being the price cap for SIMPLEx missions? It's in NASA budget request.Launch costs wouldn’t be included in these mission allocations and budget requests and projections.It doesn’t appear possible to derive the budget for ESCAPADE from these numbers, partly because it doesn’t say if any spending preceded it (which someone here knows) but if the budget cap of $55M is assumed for design and construction, the money is almost all spent already. After this the budget goes into operations or storage costs early in FY ‘23, which is soon if not now.But by their own statements, NG won’t even debut in FY ‘24.How does this award work with this schedule?So you know the future? Apparently I do (And you should still stop being nasty. Even if you are insulted, which you were not.)FYI Next Spaceflight maintains a Manifest for New Glenn. Of course, there are still no dates other than NET months for the first two flights.
.@AST_SpaceMobile selects #NewGlenn to deliver next-generation BlueBird satellites to LEO:
NEWSNOV 14, 2024AST SpaceMobile Selects Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket to Deliver Next-Generation BlueBird Satellites to SpaceBlue Origin today announced a multi-launch agreement to deliver multiple next-generation Block 2 BlueBird satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO) on New Glenn. All launches will occur over a multi-year period from Blue Origin’s Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. AST SpaceMobile is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network designed for both commercial and government applications. It will operate directly with everyday smartphones and allow seamless switching between terrestrial cell towers and satellite signals depending on location and coverage needs. “New Glenn’s performance and unprecedented capacity within its seven-meter fairing enables us to deploy more of our Block 2 BlueBird satellites in orbit, helping provide continuous cellular broadband service coverage across some of the most in-demand cellular markets globally,” said Abel Avellan, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, AST SpaceMobile. "It’s an honor to support AST SpaceMobile’s deployment of their next generation BlueBird satellites, which will expand connectivity across the globe and positively impact many lives,” said Dave Limp, CEO, Blue Origin. “New Glenn is purpose-built for these kinds of innovative and ambitious missions.” New Glenn stands more than 320 feet (98 meters) tall and is named after John Glenn, the first person to orbit Earth. Its seven-meter fairing enables twice the payload volume of any five-meter class commercial launch system. The vehicle’s reusable first stage is designed for a minimum of 25 missions and is powered by seven Blue Origin BE-4 engines, the most powerful liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled, oxygen-rich staged combustion engine ever flown. Its second stage is powered by two BE-3U engines. Each BE-3U generates 160,000 lbf of thrust in vacuum. Blue Origin also manufactures BE-7 engines for its Blue Moon lunar landers and New Shepard’s BE-3PM engine. New Glenn’s first launch is on track for this year.
Can we expect to see new signatures-contracts of the manifest of Blue, after NG-1 launch?For example AST Spacemobile, said they go to launch the GEN2 with new provider...
To those wondering:https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=50349.140
Caleb Henry@ChenrySpaceNew AST SpaceMobile launch deets. Firm launches covering 45 sats, options up to 60.- Blue Origin/New Glenn launches carrying eight sats each - SpaceX for Falcon 9 carrying four sats each, and - ISRO for GSLV carrying what sounds like one satellite. All in 2025 & 2026.
https://x.com/chenryspace/status/1857195681867255909?s=46&t=u9hd-jMa-pv47GCVD-xH-gQuoteCaleb Henry@ChenrySpaceNew AST SpaceMobile launch deets. Firm launches covering 45 sats, options up to 60.- Blue Origin/New Glenn launches carrying eight sats each - SpaceX for Falcon 9 carrying four sats each, and - ISRO for GSLV carrying what sounds like one satellite. All in 2025 & 2026.Carrying double the number of satellites versus Falcon 9 would make even as much as a $100M price tag quite competitive.
Caleb Henry@ChenrySpaceNew AST SpaceMobile launch deets. Firm launches covering 45 sats, options up to 60.- Blue Origin/New Glenn launches carrying eight sats each - SpaceX for Falcon 9 carrying four sats each, and - ISRO for GSLV carrying what sounds like one satellite. All in 2025 & 2026.
https://x.com/chenryspace/status/1857195681867255909?s=46&t=u9hd-jMa-pv47GCVD-xH-gQuoteCaleb Henry@ChenrySpaceNew AST SpaceMobile launch deets. Firm launches covering 45 sats, options up to 60.- Blue Origin/New Glenn launches carrying eight sats each - SpaceX for Falcon 9 carrying four sats each, and - ISRO for GSLV carrying what sounds like one satellite. All in 2025 & 2026.Carrying double the number of satellites versus Falcon 9 would make even as much as a $100M price tag quite competitive.
Do you think New Glenn will be reliably launching customer payloads before Starship? Maybe, if SpaceX prioritizes its specialized Starlink V2 Pez dispenser over the general-cargo Starship, but I (without hard data) think Starship wins.
Do you think New Glenn will be cheaper than FH in the near term? FH may be more cost-effective than F9 for these satellites, strange as it seems.
https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1857171736925483059Quote.@AST_SpaceMobile selects #NewGlenn to deliver next-generation BlueBird satellites to LEO: https://www.blueorigin.com/news/ast-spacemobile-selects-blue-origin-new-glennQuoteNEWSNOV 14, 2024AST SpaceMobile Selects Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket to Deliver Next-Generation BlueBird Satellites to Space...New Glenn stands more than 320 feet (98 meters) tall and is named after John Glenn, the first person to orbit Earth. Its seven-meter fairing enables twice the payload volume of any five-meter class commercial launch system. ...
NEWSNOV 14, 2024AST SpaceMobile Selects Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket to Deliver Next-Generation BlueBird Satellites to Space...New Glenn stands more than 320 feet (98 meters) tall and is named after John Glenn, the first person to orbit Earth. Its seven-meter fairing enables twice the payload volume of any five-meter class commercial launch system. ...
