Blue Origin's Suborbital Rocket Flies For First Time In 15 Months (arstechnica.com) 31
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: With redesigned engine components, Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket took off from West Texas and flew to the edge of space on Tuesday with a package of scientific research and technology demonstration experiments. This was the first flight of Blue Origin's 60-foot-tall (18-meter) New Shepard rocket since September 12, 2022, when an engine failure destroyed the booster and triggered an in-flight abort for the vehicle's pressurized capsule. There were no passengers aboard for that mission, and the capsule safely separated from the failed booster and parachuted to a controlled landing.
The flight on Tuesday also didn't carry people. Instead, Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos's space company, lofted 33 payloads from NASA, research institutions, and commercial companies. Some of these payloads were flown again on Tuesday's launch after failing to reach space on the failed New Shepard mission last year. Among these payloads were an experiment to demonstrate hydrogen fuel cell technology in microgravity and an investigation studying the strength of planetary soils under different gravity conditions. Blue Origin's capsule, mounted on top of the rocket, also flew 38,000 postcards submitted by students through Club for the Future, the company's nonprofit.
For Tuesday's return-to-flight mission, the New Shepard rocket ignited its BE-3PM engine and climbed away from Blue Origin's remote launch site near Van Horn, Texas, at 10:42 am CST (16:42 UTC). The hydrogen-fueled engine fired for more than two minutes, then shut down as scheduled as the rocket continued coasting upward, reaching an altitude of more than 347,000 feet (106 kilometers). The booster returned for a precision propulsive landing a short distance from the launch pad, and Blue Origin's capsule deployed three parachutes to settle onto the desert floor, completing a 10-minute up-and-down flight. Blue Origin has launched 24 missions with its reusable New Shepard rocket, including six flights carrying people just over the Karman line, the internationally recognized boundary of space 100 kilometers above Earth.
The flight on Tuesday also didn't carry people. Instead, Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos's space company, lofted 33 payloads from NASA, research institutions, and commercial companies. Some of these payloads were flown again on Tuesday's launch after failing to reach space on the failed New Shepard mission last year. Among these payloads were an experiment to demonstrate hydrogen fuel cell technology in microgravity and an investigation studying the strength of planetary soils under different gravity conditions. Blue Origin's capsule, mounted on top of the rocket, also flew 38,000 postcards submitted by students through Club for the Future, the company's nonprofit.
For Tuesday's return-to-flight mission, the New Shepard rocket ignited its BE-3PM engine and climbed away from Blue Origin's remote launch site near Van Horn, Texas, at 10:42 am CST (16:42 UTC). The hydrogen-fueled engine fired for more than two minutes, then shut down as scheduled as the rocket continued coasting upward, reaching an altitude of more than 347,000 feet (106 kilometers). The booster returned for a precision propulsive landing a short distance from the launch pad, and Blue Origin's capsule deployed three parachutes to settle onto the desert floor, completing a 10-minute up-and-down flight. Blue Origin has launched 24 missions with its reusable New Shepard rocket, including six flights carrying people just over the Karman line, the internationally recognized boundary of space 100 kilometers above Earth.
It warms the heart! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:It warms the heart! (Score:4, Interesting)
24 missions? That's a bit over 1 mission/year. Some other companies will have flown 100 missions just in this year, almost routine.
Since New Shepard first launched April 19, 2015, that's 3 missions per year average.
Re:It warms the heart! (Score:5, Informative)
I think he's referring to this:
Blue Origin was founded September 8th, 2000 -- roughly 23.3 years ago. Total launches: 24. Average 1.03 per year.
For comparison:
SpaceX was founded March 14th, 2002 -- roughly 21.77 years ago. Total launches: 291. Average 13.37 per year.
Re: (Score:2)
For comparison:
SpaceX was founded March 14th, 2002 -- roughly 21.77 years ago. Total launches: 291. Average 13.37 per year.
I count 5x falcon-1, 290x falcon 9 family, and 13x starship family.
If New Shepard counts as "launches", so does Starhopper!
Re: It warms the heart! (Score:2)
Yeah I didn't have time to find everything just then, so I just pulled the number directly from the public facing SpaceX website. Even with the smaller numbers, the point is well made, particularly given BE had a year and a half early start advantage.
Re: (Score:2)
"Almost" routine?
There are airlines that don't fly that often.
Re: (Score:2)
Of course he's obsessed...or rather, desperate. Not only has he been to space, he's from space. He's trying to get back home. Elon is his last hope:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:1)
Not only has he been to space...
Yes, Bezos barely made it past the Karman Line but NASA says he's no asttornaut.
The BE-4 engines that Blue Origin promised ULA is still science fiction.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/v... [cbsnews.com].
Rich people with fake cowboy hats putting themselve in a big penis capsule is nothing new,
but spectacularly failing at doing anything useful... that's all on Blue Origin.
E
BE-4 engines delivered & tested [Re:One blue p (Score:2)
The BE-4 engines that Blue Origin promised ULA is still science fiction. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/v... [cbsnews.com]
That's from July.
Here's more recent: https://www.msn.com/en-us/vide... [msn.com]
Seriously? (Score:3)
How can NASA take BO seriously? It makes no sense. Something doesn't smell right.
Re: (Score:2)
I think it's to promote multiple launch options so NASA doesn't get locked into any one company.
Re: (Score:2)
I think it's to promote multiple launch options so NASA doesn't get locked into any one company.
Blue Origin has been around for over 23 years without even 1 ATTEMPT at an orbital launch. So how do they count as an orbital launch option?
Re: (Score:2)
Wait, I think a ULA vulkan centuar flight powered by a pair of their BE-4 engines is being readied right now. So I guess they will finally get something into orbit, even if it's not their own vehicle. Unless the engines blow up again?
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Boooooo
Re: (Score:2)
Because a NS flight is about half a million per passenger and NASA's sounding rockets to do sub orbital experiments costs $1 million a pop and cannot have a human on board for the experiment.
Probably that.
Re: (Score:2)
>How can NASA take BO seriously?
hey, *you* try staying a few days with multiple other people in a room smaller than an apartment bathroom. You will, indeed, take BO seriously.
Oh, wait. Blue origin. Never mind days, time the "mission" with a stopwatch . . .
hawk
Calling Austin Powers... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Ego stroking waste of capital (Score:2)
If only Bezos would do something useful instead of this time-wasting, money-wasting endeavor. Jeff, just do something that will benefit society. You've reaped more money than anyone, just give back a little. Build a train. Build a road. Do SOMETHING useful.
Re: (Score:2)
Is the BO goal to get bought out by Boeing or LM? (Score:3)
Or another military contractor.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Hey, great punch lines don't come cheap!