Blue Origin Launches New Capsule

DooKey

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In a first for Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin venture, they have launched their new Crew Capsule 2.0 on the New Shepard rocket and recovered it successfully. Admittedly, it was only a sub-orbital flight, but even that is an accomplishment when you consider the type of capsule and what it's going to be used for. Further, the size of the windows in the capsule are amazing and the first customers are going to have a tremendous view. Check out the launch and recovery video.

Watch the video here.
 
While they were up there did they remember to take pictures to see if the Earth is flat?
 
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It was only a sub-orbital flight to reduce the risk of flying off the edge of the planet.
 
Not trying to be 'that guy' but SpaceX would have shown the full flight, live. This video is pretty disappointing. ( i want to add that i think Blue Origins is wasting everyone's time on an expensive carnival ride, so im a little biased.)
 
I find it interesting that Blue Origin's landing is so....gradual, and less of a suicide burn than SpaceX's.
 
I find it interesting that Blue Origin's landing is so....gradual, and less of a suicide burn than SpaceX's.

SpaceX doesn't have a choice. A single Falcon 9 engine on it's lowest thrust would have enough power to lift the empty first stage.

John Carmack's Armadillo Aerospace used to play around with rockets and landers that would loiter the same way. It's cool to see them casually float like that.
 
SpaceX doesn't have a choice. A single Falcon 9 engine on it's lowest thrust would have enough power to lift the empty first stage.

John Carmack's Armadillo Aerospace used to play around with rockets and landers that would loiter the same way. It's cool to see them casually float like that.
I get that the Falcon 9's engines can't be throttled down that much, but it seems a bit wasteful for Blue Origin's first stage to hover like that. In other words, I get why Falcon 9 *can't* hover, but why would you *want* to hover? If your controls are that good, why not do a suicide burn and save some fuel?
 
Comparing the landing of spacex Falcon 9 and Blue Origin is like apples and oranges. Blue Origin's is small in comparison with much less mass (and less weight and thrust and speed) and Blue Origin flies mostly straight up so doesn't have to do as many maneuvers to position itself for landing (where as Falcon flys up much higher and horizontal so it has to turn itself around, do a boost back burn to fly back, do a re-entry burn to slow itself down as it comes back into the atmosphere (otherwise it would burn up), then do the actual landing burn). When Falcon Heavy lands all 3 of it's first stages simultaneously, that is going to be a sight to behold. Can't wait.

If anyone wants to watch the best footage of the Falcon 9 landing all the way from separation, check this out.

 
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Cool. I'm still waiting for my Mars tickets... I guess I'll be long dead before I see people land on Mars.
 
Cool. I'm still waiting for my Mars tickets... I guess I'll be long dead before I see people land on Mars.

Personally I'm not nearly as interested in a Mars manned voyage (though it would be definitely cool) as I am to see a continued moon base. We should have been back up there already.
 
So will Jeff use these rockets to drop ship Amazon warehouse parcels?
 
Personally I'm not nearly as interested in a Mars manned voyage (though it would be definitely cool) as I am to see a continued moon base. We should have been back up there already.

i'd like to see both happen, but having a base on the moon first makes everything after that much easier.

SpaceX doesn't have a choice. A single Falcon 9 engine on it's lowest thrust would have enough power to lift the empty first stage.

it also minimizes damage from the engines during the burn back to slow the first stage before landing.
 
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I’m so sorry for this...


Radar Operator: Colonel, you better have a look at this radar.

Colonel: What is it, son?

Radar Operator: I don't know, sir, but it looks like a giant...

Jet Pilot: Dick. Dick, take a look out of starboard.

Co-Pilot: Oh my God, it looks like a huge...

Bird-Watching Woman: Pecker.

Bird-Watching Man: [raising binoculars] Ooh, Where?

Bird-Watching Woman: Over there. What sort of bird is that? Wait, it's not a woodpecker, it looks like someone's...

Army Sergeant: Privates. We have reports of an unidentified flying object. It has a long, smooth shaft, complete with...

Baseball Umpire: Two balls.

[looking up from game]

Baseball Umpire: What is that. It looks just like an enormous...

Chinese Teacher: Wang. pay attention.

Wang: I was distracted by that giant flying...

Musician: Willie.

Willie: Yeah?

Musician: What's that?

Willie: [squints] Well, that looks like a huge...

Colonel: Johnson.

Radar Operator: Yes, sir?

Colonel: Get on the horn to British Intelligence and let them know about this.
 
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