Bezos Throws Cash, Engineers at Rocket Program as Space Race Accelerates

DooKey

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Reuters is reporting that several people familiar with the Blue Origin program say Jeff Bezos is throwing big money at the program to get his New Glenn heavy-launch vehicle off the ground. Flight tests for this rocket are at least two years off and this puts him between a rock and space. Competitor SpaceX is regularly throwing stuff into orbit with the Falcon 9 rocket and has already launched one Falcon Heavy. As SpaceX gains experience in the commercial market they will be hard to beat once Blue Origin comes to market. However, the bright spot for Bezos is the fact satellite launches are occurring more and more often so he probably hasn't missed his window of opportunity yet. He better keep throwing that money around and meet schedules is all I have to say about that.

Blue Origin has privately acknowledged in conversations with French satellite firm Eutelsat SA [ETLXCE.UL] - its first New Glenn customer - that its 2020 time frame is “very aggressive,” a person with direct knowledge of talks between the companies said.
 
Considering humanity is eventually going to have:
  • A Big space station, something that makes the ISS look like a toy
  • Moon bases and orbital facilities
  • Mars bases and orbital facilities
  • Asteroid capture and mining
Yea, I don't think they've missed a window at all. We've had the space race just to get people interested. Now it's really the final frontier - and it's so wide open.

EDIT: And the rocket that they're talking about isn't even in the same ballpark as the Falcon Heavy. It's a direct competitor with the BFR - so they're not THAT far behind SpaceX.
 
I understand why companies dont share data, I mean, competition and all. But can you imagine how much further along we would be if these two companies/people joined forces in this effort?
 
Considering humanity is eventually going to have:
  • A Big space station, something that makes the ISS look like a toy
  • Moon bases and orbital facilities
  • Mars bases and orbital facilities
  • Asteroid capture and mining
Yea, I don't think they've missed a window at all. We've had the space race just to get people interested. Now it's really the final frontier - and it's so wide open.

EDIT: And the rocket that they're talking about isn't even in the same ballpark as the Falcon Heavy. It's a direct competitor with the BFR - so they're not THAT far behind SpaceX.

I still think they're a ways back. Space X gets so much more real world test data from each launch, and that counts for a bit more than an extra $1B from Bezos and simulation and theory. It would be fascinating to watch if Blue Origin somehow got to that 'interplanetary' sized rocket first.


I understand why companies dont share data, I mean, competition and all. But can you imagine how much further along we would be if these two companies/people joined forces in this effort?

Get out of here you communist socialist!
 
As much as I can't stand the China goods front called Amazon, this is all good for progress and space exploration.
 
I understand why companies dont share data, I mean, competition and all. But can you imagine how much further along we would be if these two companies/people joined forces in this effort?

Actually, I think we been further behind. The thing that people tend to overlook is that pettiness and competition drive people to do things. If we committed to full cooperation or non-competition, the speed of advancement would dwindle. We'd get complacent. Basically, what we've been for decades. The "space race" is what we needed to get this point now. There will come a time with acquisitions and mergers happen. That's not until the dust settles and government issued monopolies are being handed out.

Media is at that point, and we're about to start crossing a line where stories are largely issued out by one entity. We don't want that...but we continually allow it because "superheroes."
 
Is it just me or does that Blue Origin New Shepard rocket look like a huge dick?
 
just saw on the TV news the Boeing space shuttle capsule. Shuttle had over 3500 cockpit switches, this one has 45 and it's fully controlled via computers and ground control (aka hands-off for the riders)
 
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I understand why companies dont share data, I mean, competition and all. But can you imagine how much further along we would be if these two companies/people joined forces in this effort?

Probably not as far as you think. Some competition is good even if Blue Origin and SpaceX aren't directly competing for lift. Someone has to go down the path not traveled to either prove it's the wrong path or prove it's the better way. The more companies competing in the private space race the better. For to long it's been government sponsored politically hindered morass of over budgeted under innovating programs.
 
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