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Maybe BO will one day actually do something noteworthy on their own, rather than trying to prevent SpaceX from moving ahead because they actually do things. Bez

by cronix 5y ago

Maybe BO will one day actually do something noteworthy on their own, rather than trying to prevent SpaceX from moving ahead because they actually do things. Bezos also recently tried to block Starlink's modified expansion plans[1] saying it was unfair to his conceptual Project Kuiper (conceptual because it doesn't yet physically exist vs Starlink which is in beta service and expanding). Amazon isn't even using BO to launch their own Project Kuipers first satellites (they're going to use ULA)[2]. That says a lot. > Amazon did not say when the first launch will occur, but the company said it had contracted with United Launch Alliance for nine launches to begin building out its constellation of 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit. [1]https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/27/fcc-approves-spacex-starlink-modification-despite-objections.html https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/27/fcc-approves-spacex-starlink... [2]https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/04/amazons-first-internet-satellites-will-not-launch-on-blue-origin-rockets/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/04/amazons-first-intern...

trhway 5y ago
Dealing with and relying on ULA will be the Bezos' space endeavors undoing. Similarly as if Russians agreed to the original Musk idea back then - there wouldn't be SpaceX today. Technically going hydrogen way Bezos cornered himself - the turbine would be extremely expensive and reliability is an issue, and by not doing it so far they are very limited by expander and tap-off.
tzs 5y ago
> Maybe BO will one day actually do something noteworthy on their own, rather than trying to prevent SpaceX from moving ahead because they actually do things. You don't consider being the first to successfully launch and land a VTOL booster noteworthy [1]? [1] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/11/the-first-reusable-rocket/417525/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/11/the-f...
- ctdonath 5y ago
  Laudable yes, but that’s as far as BO has gone. SpaceX does the same while putting stage 2 in orbit. It’s “what have you done lately?”
- Gwypaas 5y ago
  You're off by more than 20 years from the flight of the DC-X. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_DC-X https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_DC-X
- TaylorAlexander 5y ago
  > first to successfully launch and land a VTOL booster They were not the first the launch and land a VTOL booster. According to the article it was the first VTOL booster to fly above the Karman line and then land safely. But SpaceX had a flying VTOL booster in 2012-2013. [1] Actually it's amazing because Blue Origin made that flight in 2015, and five years later they made basically the same flight but with people in it. Meanwhile SpaceX nailed orbital landing, is reusing orbital boosters like crazy, released the Falcon Heavy, and has made remarkable progress on the Mars Rocket. And BO still hasn't made orbit. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasshopper_(rocket) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasshopper_(rocket)

by cronix 5y ago

trhway 5y ago

Dealing with and relying on ULA will be the Bezos' space endeavors undoing. Similarly as if Russians agreed to the original Musk idea back then - there wouldn't be SpaceX today. Technically going hydrogen way Bezos cornered himself - the turbine would be extremely expensive and reliability is an issue, and by not doing it so far they are very limited by expander and tap-off.

tzs 5y ago

> Maybe BO will one day actually do something noteworthy on their own, rather than trying to prevent SpaceX from moving ahead because they actually do things. You don't consider being the first to successfully launch and land a VTOL booster noteworthy [1]? [1] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/11/the-first-reusable-rocket/417525/ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/11/the-f...

ctdonath 5y ago
Laudable yes, but that’s as far as BO has gone. SpaceX does the same while putting stage 2 in orbit. It’s “what have you done lately?”
Gwypaas 5y ago
You're off by more than 20 years from the flight of the DC-X. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_DC-X https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_DC-X
TaylorAlexander 5y ago
> first to successfully launch and land a VTOL booster They were not the first the launch and land a VTOL booster. According to the article it was the first VTOL booster to fly above the Karman line and then land safely. But SpaceX had a flying VTOL booster in 2012-2013. [1] Actually it's amazing because Blue Origin made that flight in 2015, and five years later they made basically the same flight but with people in it. Meanwhile SpaceX nailed orbital landing, is reusing orbital boosters like crazy, released the Falcon Heavy, and has made remarkable progress on the Mars Rocket. And BO still hasn't made orbit. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasshopper_(rocket) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasshopper_(rocket)