Another Blue Origin successful flight

So cool to see NASA doing cool new things.:yes:
 
If there is a lack of interest in this topic, I will happily shut up about it.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
If there is a lack of interest in this topic, I will happily shut up about it.
Click to expand...

I don't think there's a lack of interest, it's just the difficulty of what they are doing versus SpaceX is orders of magnitudes easier.
 
huh. Well I wish anyone involved in aviation pursuits, large or small, all the best.
all the best,
 
I think the real lack of interest is in how they market themselves. They're very isolated in west texas, don't really want people to know what's going on and only release the video they want. SpaceX is very open about things and has been able to get the public interested in that way.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
I think the real lack of interest is in how they market themselves. They're very isolated in west texas, don't really want people to know what's going on and only release the video they want. SpaceX is very open about things and has been able to get the public interested in that way.
Click to expand...
Well... it *is* deliberate, they purposely minimize the publicity. They're actually based only a block or so from where I work, but there's no big signs or anything. They hadn't let the press into their facility until just recently. Several former co-workers work for them now.

While I'm not fired up about the suborbital tourist concept, I think Blue's might work out better than Virgin Galactic's. Infrastructure seems to be a lot less, and it looks to me like you can just load your passenger and launch... vs. the two hours plus it takes VG. A lot fewer non-revenue crewmembers leaving the ground, too.

Ron Wanttaja
 
I am definitely interested and keep tabs on all paths that might get me to space one day.. affordably. Orbital would be the goal at least once around if that happens in time for me.
 
Mutts said:
I am definitely interested and keep tabs on all paths that might get me to space one day.. affordably. Orbital would be the goal at least once around if that happens in time for me.
Click to expand...
Orbital would certainly get one the better views, but neither SpaceShipTwo nor the Blue Origin capsule can handle re-entry heat from orbit. Blue, again, has a better chance in that adding shielding to the capsule...that would be easier than covering the whole SS2 belly and sides.

Operationally, an orbital system is a bigger PITA. Landing back at one's takeoff location would be difficult (though not impossible) for SS2, and essentially impossible for Blue. So they'd need separate teams and facilities for recovery. They're pretty much limited to East Coast launches for range safety reasons, unless they want to pay the loss in payload capacity for non-eastern launches. Ninety-minute minimum in orbit means a bigger chance that some of your passengers may have to use a zero-g lav, and, in any case, more of your paying customers will have time to develop a bad case of space sickness, as well.

Some interesting ramifications, there. Anyone who pays that kind of money for that kind of experience is going to want video coverage of him or her for the full duration of the flight...but what if, in the background, you can see ANOTHER billionare doing a continuous technicolor yawn? One billionaire will want to air the footage of him sporting in zero-G, but the other billionaire will want to ensure the video never sees the light of Youtube....

Ron Wanttaja
 
Well I'm almost 50 so I have some time to see where it all goes. I certainly won't be one of the first for anything unless they have raffles, in 10+ years maybe once around might be possible but what would the cost be? I may only be able to afford a sub orbital, but maybe halfway around the world will do. LOL
 
Very dramatic to watch the booster stage falling so fast and fire up the engine again in that last fraction of a second to save itself. I wonder how many Gs are exerted in that?
 
Phoenix said:
So cool to see NASA doing cool new things.:yes:
Click to expand...

While I don't have anything against NASA, they don't have anything to do with this. Blue Origin is funded by private money. Jeff Bezos, the guy that started Amazon, also started Blue Origin.

Blue Origin still has a long way to go however. Making it to the Kármán line is a lot different that making it to LEO.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Origin
 
Going orbital is from here is much easier than figuring out the base rotation maneuver and ground handling logistics. The key is....they are learning and will grow into orbital missions.

Plus they are learning how to develop reusable launch vehicles....and that's huge for low cost access to space.

We did this back in the 90's....it's about time this commercial activity continues.(btw...NASA didn't do that either, it was an AF project given to NASA to crash) :D
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
Going orbital is from here is much easier than figuring out the base rotation maneuver and ground handling logistics. The key is....they are learning and will grow into orbital missions.

Plus they are learning how to develop reusable launch vehicles....and that's huge for low cost access to space.

We did this back in the 90's....it's about time this commercial activity continues.(btw...NASA didn't do that either, it was an AF project given to NASA to crash) :D
Click to expand...

I won't disagree with what you're saying per se, but I do think the transition from sub-orbital to LEO is more complicated than many people think. There will have to be a whole new rocket engine/motor that needs to be developed, because STTO just isn't practical with the technology we have now. This all seems like it should be simple, but remember that these stage separation events are happening buy using explosives to cut the rocket apart while it's in flight. There are LOTS of things that can go wrong with this. Many of the things that can go wrong are things that you can't test for unless you have put a centrifuge inside a thermal chamber on top of a vibe fixture inside the vomit comet. I am not saying they won't get there, I actually have a high level of confidence that they can get there. All it takes is money and the willingness to stomach failure, because they will spend a LOT of money, and they will fail somewhere along the way.
 
Agreed....it won't be SSTO....but reusable stages are very doable and does provide low cost access to space....and is the holy grail.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top