Mar 6, 2024 05:53 PM
Could Blue Origin actually beat SpaceX to the Moon?
https://gizmodo.com/could-blue-origin-be...1851308542
INTRO: Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos, is finally setting some ambitious timelines, saying it plans to conduct an uncrewed Moon landing in as little as a year from now, deploying a demonstration version of its Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) cargo lander. This ramps up the space rivalry big time, putting Bezos head-to-head with Musk in a potential lunar showdown.
John Couluris, senior vice president for lunar permanence at Blue Origin, discussed these plans during an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, which aired on Sunday, March 3 (video below). “We’re expecting to land on the Moon between 12 and 16 months from today,” he said. “I understand I’m saying that publicly, but that’s what our team is aiming towards.”
Couluris knows he needs to be careful with his phrasing; a Congressional memo recently accused Rocket Lab of misrepresenting the launch readiness of its upcoming Neutron rocket to “gain competitive advantage” against rival bidders for a Space Force contract. Overly optimistic wording can cost a company lucrative deals, but Blue Origin is making a concerted effort to shed its image as the company that likes to take its sweet time.
The upcoming pathfinding mission, known as MK1-SN001, is meant to showcase various capabilities of the MK1 cargo vehicle..... (MORE - details)
Prelude to the John Couluris interview begins at the 8:35 minute mark ... https://youtu.be/oJ0Pn6x_xhQ
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/oJ0Pn6x_xhQ
Blue Origin is getting serious about developing a human spacecraft
https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/03/bl...pacecraft/
INTRO: The space company named Blue Origin is having a big year. New chief executive Dave Limp, who arrived in December, is working to instill a more productive culture at the firm owned by Jeff Bezos. In January, the company's powerful BE-4 rocket engine performed very well on the debut launch of the Vulcan booster. And later this year, possibly as soon as August, Blue Origin's own heavy-lift rocket, New Glenn, will take flight.
But wait, there's more. The company has also been hard at work developing hardware that will fly on New Glenn, such as the Blue Ring transfer vehicle that will be used to ferry satellites into precise orbits. In addition, work continues on a private space station called Orbital Reef.
One of the key questions about that space station is how astronauts will get there. The only current means of US crew transportation to low-Earth orbit is via Blue Origin's direct competitor, SpaceX, with its Dragon vehicle. This is likely unpalatable for Bezos.
Boeing is an official partner on Orbital Reef. It has a crewed spacecraft, Starliner, set to make its debut flight in April. But there are serious questions about Boeing's long-term commitment to Starliner beyond its seven contracted missions with NASA, in addition to concerns that its price will be about 50 percent higher than Dragon if it ever flies private astronauts. Blue Origin has also had some discussions with India about using its new crew capsule.
All of these options have downsides, especially for a company that has a vision of "millions of people living and working in space." It has long been understood that Blue Origin will eventually develop a crewed spacecraft vehicle. But when?
Now, apparently... (MORE - details)
https://gizmodo.com/could-blue-origin-be...1851308542
INTRO: Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos, is finally setting some ambitious timelines, saying it plans to conduct an uncrewed Moon landing in as little as a year from now, deploying a demonstration version of its Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) cargo lander. This ramps up the space rivalry big time, putting Bezos head-to-head with Musk in a potential lunar showdown.
John Couluris, senior vice president for lunar permanence at Blue Origin, discussed these plans during an interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, which aired on Sunday, March 3 (video below). “We’re expecting to land on the Moon between 12 and 16 months from today,” he said. “I understand I’m saying that publicly, but that’s what our team is aiming towards.”
Couluris knows he needs to be careful with his phrasing; a Congressional memo recently accused Rocket Lab of misrepresenting the launch readiness of its upcoming Neutron rocket to “gain competitive advantage” against rival bidders for a Space Force contract. Overly optimistic wording can cost a company lucrative deals, but Blue Origin is making a concerted effort to shed its image as the company that likes to take its sweet time.
The upcoming pathfinding mission, known as MK1-SN001, is meant to showcase various capabilities of the MK1 cargo vehicle..... (MORE - details)
Prelude to the John Couluris interview begins at the 8:35 minute mark ... https://youtu.be/oJ0Pn6x_xhQ
Blue Origin is getting serious about developing a human spacecraft
https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/03/bl...pacecraft/
INTRO: The space company named Blue Origin is having a big year. New chief executive Dave Limp, who arrived in December, is working to instill a more productive culture at the firm owned by Jeff Bezos. In January, the company's powerful BE-4 rocket engine performed very well on the debut launch of the Vulcan booster. And later this year, possibly as soon as August, Blue Origin's own heavy-lift rocket, New Glenn, will take flight.
But wait, there's more. The company has also been hard at work developing hardware that will fly on New Glenn, such as the Blue Ring transfer vehicle that will be used to ferry satellites into precise orbits. In addition, work continues on a private space station called Orbital Reef.
One of the key questions about that space station is how astronauts will get there. The only current means of US crew transportation to low-Earth orbit is via Blue Origin's direct competitor, SpaceX, with its Dragon vehicle. This is likely unpalatable for Bezos.
Boeing is an official partner on Orbital Reef. It has a crewed spacecraft, Starliner, set to make its debut flight in April. But there are serious questions about Boeing's long-term commitment to Starliner beyond its seven contracted missions with NASA, in addition to concerns that its price will be about 50 percent higher than Dragon if it ever flies private astronauts. Blue Origin has also had some discussions with India about using its new crew capsule.
All of these options have downsides, especially for a company that has a vision of "millions of people living and working in space." It has long been understood that Blue Origin will eventually develop a crewed spacecraft vehicle. But when?
Now, apparently... (MORE - details)