Discussion
Delta v heavy only flies very infrequently, though that is probably more down to costs involved..
F9H will likely be cheaper than an f9 launch that gets trashed ( but more than a recoverable f9 mission).
Half of this is the if you build it they will come attitude. Commercial cargo has never had cheap access to heavy launches. They have been reserved for .mil and deep science
F9H will likely be cheaper than an f9 launch that gets trashed ( but more than a recoverable f9 mission).
Half of this is the if you build it they will come attitude. Commercial cargo has never had cheap access to heavy launches. They have been reserved for .mil and deep science
Blue Origin's new buildings at KSC coming along nicely...
Jeff Bezos "One of the unique things about our Florida operations is that we aren’t just launching here, we’re building here. At Exploration Park, we’ll have a 21st century production facility where we’ll focus on manufacturing our reusable fleet of orbital launchers and readying them for flight again and again. Locating vehicle assembly near our launch site eases the challenge of processing and transporting really big rockets. ...Our American-made BE-4 engine – the power behind our orbital launch vehicle – will be acceptance tested here. Our BE-4 engine will also help make history as it powers the first flight of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket.. "
Jeff Bezos "One of the unique things about our Florida operations is that we aren’t just launching here, we’re building here. At Exploration Park, we’ll have a 21st century production facility where we’ll focus on manufacturing our reusable fleet of orbital launchers and readying them for flight again and again. Locating vehicle assembly near our launch site eases the challenge of processing and transporting really big rockets. ...Our American-made BE-4 engine – the power behind our orbital launch vehicle – will be acceptance tested here. Our BE-4 engine will also help make history as it powers the first flight of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket.. "
t" moments.Blue Origin are dropping the originally planned 5.4 metre payload fairing option on the New Glenn rocket and going for a 7 metre one instead. The rocket itself is 7 metres (23 ft) in diameter, so it kinda makes sense. It also allows them to have twice the internal volume.
A 5.4 metre diameter fairing is what the likes of Ariane 5 (and 6) use and it's the largest option for Atlas V. Falcon 9 / Heavy has a 5.2 metre fairing.
Meanwhile, an upgraded version of the New Shepard rocket has been moved to the launch site in Texas and will launch before the end of the year. This one has real windows, not painted on ones like its predecessor which completed 5 launches and landings last October. They want to start taking humans up next year.
A 5.4 metre diameter fairing is what the likes of Ariane 5 (and 6) use and it's the largest option for Atlas V. Falcon 9 / Heavy has a 5.2 metre fairing.
Meanwhile, an upgraded version of the New Shepard rocket has been moved to the launch site in Texas and will launch before the end of the year. This one has real windows, not painted on ones like its predecessor which completed 5 launches and landings last October. They want to start taking humans up next year.
Beati Dogu said:
Blue Origin are dropping the originally planned 5.4 metre payload fairing option on the New Glenn rocket and going for a 7 metre one instead. The rocket itself is 7 metres (23 ft) in diameter, so it kinda makes sense. It also allows them to have twice the internal volume.
A 5.4 metre diameter fairing is what the likes of Ariane 5 (and 6) use and it's the largest option for Atlas V. Falcon 9 / Heavy has a 5.2 metre fairing.
Meanwhile, an upgraded version of the New Shepard rocket has been moved to the launch site in Texas and will launch before the end of the year. This one has real windows, not painted on ones like its predecessor which completed 5 launches and landings last October. They want to start taking humans up next year.
They obviously will have done their sums. Wonder what the difference in weight and form drag are.. Must have some tidy motors coming up.. A 5.4 metre diameter fairing is what the likes of Ariane 5 (and 6) use and it's the largest option for Atlas V. Falcon 9 / Heavy has a 5.2 metre fairing.
Meanwhile, an upgraded version of the New Shepard rocket has been moved to the launch site in Texas and will launch before the end of the year. This one has real windows, not painted on ones like its predecessor which completed 5 launches and landings last October. They want to start taking humans up next year.
I think they were originally planning to have both options, as per the picture below (with the optional 3rd stage):
This is one of the 8 BE-4 rocket motors that New Glen will use:
7 of them on the first stage and a single vacuum version on the second.
Seeing this monster land itself will be a sight and a half.
This is one of the 8 BE-4 rocket motors that New Glen will use:
7 of them on the first stage and a single vacuum version on the second.
Seeing this monster land itself will be a sight and a half.
Beati Dogu said:
I think they were originally planning to have both options, as per the picture below (with the optional 3rd stage):
This is one of the 8 BE-4 rocket motors that New Glen will use:
7 of them on the first stage and a single vacuum version on the second.
Seeing this monster land itself will be a sight and a half.
I can't wait for the spacex style blooper film This is one of the 8 BE-4 rocket motors that New Glen will use:
7 of them on the first stage and a single vacuum version on the second.
Seeing this monster land itself will be a sight and a half.
.
Blue Origin's factory construction is getting there.
It's located at Exploration Park, which very close to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In fact it's only about 7 miles from launch complex 36, which Blue Origin have leased for New Glenn operations.
This pad is further south than the ones used by SpaceX, ULA & NASA. The last launch from there was an Atlas III, back in 2005.
It's located at Exploration Park, which very close to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In fact it's only about 7 miles from launch complex 36, which Blue Origin have leased for New Glenn operations.
This pad is further south than the ones used by SpaceX, ULA & NASA. The last launch from there was an Atlas III, back in 2005.
This engine was built at their HQ in Kent, Washington State but eventually they'll be built in a new 200,000 square foot facility in Huntsville, Alabama.
Aerojet Rocketdyne are also building a factory there to manufacture their AR1 engine. This is the competitor to the BE-4 to power ULA's Atlas V replacement, the Vulcan rocket. A decision on which engine ULA will go with will be made before the end of the year, so a successful test is important. They had a BE-4 test go bang on the test stand back in May. But then, that's what testing is for.
Piccy added...
That's just 50% power captain.. for 3 seconds.
Aerojet Rocketdyne are also building a factory there to manufacture their AR1 engine. This is the competitor to the BE-4 to power ULA's Atlas V replacement, the Vulcan rocket. A decision on which engine ULA will go with will be made before the end of the year, so a successful test is important. They had a BE-4 test go bang on the test stand back in May. But then, that's what testing is for.
Piccy added...
That's just 50% power captain.. for 3 seconds.
Edited by Beati Dogu on Friday 20th October 01:39
Despite my spacex leanings, I think we are living in incredible times with both these companies really going for it commercially!!
On the downside, I presume they will have to carry out a similar sacrificial programme as spacex had to to satisfy NASA (and thus the legacy corporations gain the info).. probably explains spacex' s unrivalled transparency, thinking about it..
On the downside, I presume they will have to carry out a similar sacrificial programme as spacex had to to satisfy NASA (and thus the legacy corporations gain the info).. probably explains spacex' s unrivalled transparency, thinking about it..
The Chinese don't give a damn about patents. If they think they'll make more money than they have to pay out in lawsuits, they'll built it anyway.
That said, SpaceX didn't invent the concept of a rocket that can take a payload into orbit & land itself. Blue Origin tried to patent ship landings, but SpaceX successfully argued that their patent is based on ideas & research by other people too. So called "prior art".
Check out the Russian sci-fi film "The Sky Calls" from 1959:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdSxDNnqRlo
That said, SpaceX didn't invent the concept of a rocket that can take a payload into orbit & land itself. Blue Origin tried to patent ship landings, but SpaceX successfully argued that their patent is based on ideas & research by other people too. So called "prior art".
Check out the Russian sci-fi film "The Sky Calls" from 1959:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdSxDNnqRlo
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