Irrespective of a buy-out, NG gets delayed, Vulcan has a longer run than currently predicted.
This would also reduce the likelihood of Vulcan's SMART reuse ever coming to fruition, if the plan is to phase out Vulcan and replace it with New Glenn anyway.
Q: Also how would the engine bay recovery and refurbishment operations work for BE-4 and Vulcan? Do you think there will be problems with contamination from sea water?A: Recovery will return to Florida. Initial engines will likely return to factory for full check out. Later on intend to inspect and reinstall at the Cape. The key is to not get them wet. Fortunately, the exit plane of the bells sits over 20 feet above the water. Also developing options for spray shields.
Quote from: trimeta on 11/16/2023 07:21 pmThis would also reduce the likelihood of Vulcan's SMART reuse ever coming to fruition, if the plan is to phase out Vulcan and replace it with New Glenn anyway.Tory Bruno is currently doing a Reddit AMA and seems pretty upbeat on SMART.QuoteQ: Also how would the engine bay recovery and refurbishment operations work for BE-4 and Vulcan? Do you think there will be problems with contamination from sea water?A: Recovery will return to Florida. Initial engines will likely return to factory for full check out. Later on intend to inspect and reinstall at the Cape. The key is to not get them wet. Fortunately, the exit plane of the bells sits over 20 feet above the water. Also developing options for spray shields.
An unusual piece of cargo coming into Port Canaveral this morning from the shipyard of a contractor known to work with Blue Origin (and other Space companies...)nsf.live/spacecoast
The Blue Origin-owned crane at Port Canaveral is moving in to lift the delivery that arrived this morning... (I think it's a jig of some kind)nsf.live/spacecoast
Big day for Blue Origin fans!The (suspected) jig has now been unloaded at Port Canaveral by the company crane - the first major lift for this crane too!nsf.live/spacecoast
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
.@JeffBezos re: New Glenn in conversation with @lexfridman:"Very optimistic" for a first launch in 2024, but unsure what payload it will carry. Possibly EscaPADE. "We also have other things that might go on that first mission.""Extremely nervous" about first launch.
"Blue Origin needs to be much faster and it's one of the reasons I left my role as the CEO of Amazon a couple of years ago. I wanted to come in, and Blue Origin needs me right now."
I do love to see Jeff Bezos engaged at Blue Origin. "We're going to become the world's most decisive company across any industry," he said. "We're going to get really good at taking appropriate technology risks, making those decisions quickly." Article:
Jeff Bezos says what we’re all thinking: “Blue Origin needs to be much faster”"We're going to become the world's most decisive company across any industry."by Eric Berger - Dec 14, 2023 8:37pm GMT
<snip>In regards to this thread forget RL bit, what is interesting is his take on Blue. My worry with Blue is succession especially as its a very expensive hobby company. Will Bezos estate keep funding it to tune of $1B a year if he dies. Just look at Stratolauncher history.
Quote from: TrevorMonty on 12/15/2023 04:08 pm<snip>In regards to this thread forget RL bit, what is interesting is his take on Blue. My worry with Blue is succession especially as its a very expensive hobby company. Will Bezos estate keep funding it to tune of $1B a year if he dies. Just look at Stratolauncher history.It is up to Jeff to set up and funded a trust to keep Blue Origin as ongoing business after he isn't around.But I don't think Blue Origin's current woes is money. The company has no focus and no long term goals. Their previous CEO and top management is too much bean counting and empire building without too much long term strategy for the company.
It's up to Jeff to turn it into a profitable business as soon as possible so it can keep going after he's gone. If it makes money doing what he envisions, it will continue. Then his heirs can keep it or sell it. If it needs a trust to keep funding it in the long haul, it's a waste of time and money.
Seems its difficult for the company to go Celeriter (speedy) when its Owner, Leader and Funder is stuck at Graditem (gradual). JB talks a good game in the Lex Fridman Interview. He really does. About becoming quick and decisive. Is he spending every waking moment setting them on the right path? Is he selling all his toys and then pumping that money in BO? Is that the kind of commitment it would take?In all seriousness, where is the real, driving, win-at-all-costs, do-or-die motivation evident in their actions?What are the consequences if they do not change their culture? Will JB go bankrupt? Unlikely. He might close BO without consequence except to his pride. It all seems to be a personal pride play.For spacex and EM, in the mid to late 2000s, it was literally succeed or go down the tubes. Is that true today for JB, as the driving force behind BO?It has been suggested in this thread that they should get some spacexers to help them out, motivate them, drive them to exceed. They have hired quite a few ex spacexers. I guess you'd have to be specific about which SXers you need.Big picture, I just don't see the hunger that drives them out of their funk yet. There were the court cases that they initiated, which to me indicated hurt pride, but the outcome of those were not sufficiently positive to fuel real change. They did get their HLS contract, but thats about it. Again, MHO.I would be very glad to see them break out of their malaise. I think they can, but do they REALLY have the drive?
NASA has not been running a profitable operation over its lifetime either, yet has still been a success in many ways, especially in the early years.