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You're right that Blue Origin is older than SpaceX, as it was founded in 2000 vs 2002 for SpaceX However, SpaceX is using off the shelf russian engine designs,
by MCRed 11y ago
You're right that Blue Origin is older than SpaceX, as it was founded in 2000 vs 2002 for SpaceX
However, SpaceX is using off the shelf russian engine designs, if I recall correctly (possibly off the shelf engines in the early days?[1]) Blue Origin, on the other hand, seems to be developing its engines from scratch.
SpaceX's strategy certainly should have gotten it to market faster, and has. Blue Origin's in theory should give it a technology lead (engines designed now rather than 50+ years ago.)
It appears that in the 2020s we'll see when both companies (I believe) start launching heavy lift vehicles. SpaceX will have more launches under its belt then, but maybe Blue Origin will have caught up?
[1] I remember reading a blog post that the Merlin engine was based on a russian design, but I can't seem to find evidence of that now. Maybe I'm mistaken.
- mpweiher 11y ago>However, SpaceX is using off the shelf russian engine designs, if I recall correctly (possibly off the shelf engines in the early days? That was Orbital Sciences with their Antares rocket, which uses refurbished Soviet-era Kuznetsov NK-33 engines (1960ies to -70ies). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antares_(rocket) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antares_(rocket)
- snowwrestler 11y agoI think you might be confusing SpaceX and Orbital Sciences, which flies old Russian engines on its Antares rocket (the most recent of which blew up during a launch at Wallops Island, VA). As far as I know, SpaceX designed their own engines. They did so relying heavily on what is known from earlier NASA and Russian engines, but that is true of everyone these days.