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More Clues About Blue Origin's Space Plans

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the blue's-clues dept.

FleaPlus writes "Blue Origin, the secretive company started by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, has recently released a number of new details about their suborbital launch plans and their private desert launch facility. The vehicle will be fully reusable, and similar in many ways to the vertical-takeoff-and-landing DC-X. The details were part of a 229-page environmental impact statement the company filed to comply with federal regulations. The company plans to start launching test vehicles later this year, with commercial operations beginning in 2010."

10 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. I presume he's patented by Megaweapon · · Score: 4, Funny

    the One Click Launch?

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    1. Re:I presume he's patented by lottameez · · Score: 4, Funny

      Would you like to be the first to write a review on Blue Origin? Please also check out these fine offers from NASA, Virgin Galactic and more!

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      Yeah? Well I think you're overrated too.
  2. Reusable! by mcai8rw2 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Here is a big cheer for the fact that the object is re-usable. This is fast becoming one of the more considered aspects of shuttle design, and given taht there is a "The Carbon Trust" campaign going on in the uk [and the world!] a reuable shuttle is a big bonus.

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    1. Re:Reusable! by CommunistHamster · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It's not just the reusability, it's how reuseable it is, in this case measured in turnaround time. The wikipedia article states that it has a turnaround time of 26 hours minimum, which is outstanding compared to the Shuttle.

    2. Re:Reusable! by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 3, Informative

      The 26 hour turnaround was for the DC-X.

      The speed of this turnaround was mainly due to being able to take off from the same spot it landed on.
      Its like the old Lunar Lander games where you just boost back up into the sky after refueling.

      Looks very impressive.

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      liqbase :: faster than paper
    3. Re:Reusable! by Billosaur · · Score: 3, Informative

      The 26 hour turnaround was for the DC-X.

      And people forget that the DC-X was a concept vehicle, to prove that the technology existed and could be adapted to VTOL rockets. It was Pete Conrad's dream to take the DC-X and expand it, and make it a viable competitor for space commerce, a dream he saw dashed when the DC-X crashed during a test in July 1995.

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  3. Xenu by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    At least it's not replica of a DC-8

  4. Batcave? by RDW · · Score: 4, Funny

    "The acreage also has...a bat cave".

    A secretive billionaire with advanced aerospace technology and a Batcave? Holy Amazon, Batman!

  5. Come on people - look at the trend... by Cicero382 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've been an avid follower of space exploration for... well, all of my life. Hell, my father even woke me up at 3 AM so I could watch Armstrong do his stuff (I was eight) - he didn't dare *not* let me watch - the whinging would've been awful.

    In those days, youngsters like me *knew* that we would have a base on the Moon in 10 years and another on Mars a few years after that. The excitement!

    Oh, dear...

    OK. I know now that it was all a "Get there before the Commies", but it *was* done. (BTW. To all you Yanks reading this - I think you guys made the greatest achievement of the human race, to date, happen. The reasons aren't important - you should be very proud).

    Now look at it. It's starting again, but this time on many fronts - this isn't the only initiative. I'm eight years old again. The only difference is that I'm too old to play a part.

  6. The Carbon Trust? by amightywind · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Here is a big cheer for the fact that the object is re-usable. This is fast becoming one of the more considered aspects of shuttle design, and given taht there is a "The Carbon Trust" campaign going on in the uk [and the world!] a reuable shuttle is a big bonus.

    The DC-X and space shuttle are not at all comparable. The DC-X has about 1/100th the performance of the shuttle. The use of decent engines if frivolously wasteful. I am not surprised Bezos is attracted to it. The weight penalty imposed on the space shuttle for reusability, wings, wheels, thermal protection is huge. Strip all of that away and use a simple aerodynamic shape and you have the NASA CEV.

    What does "Carbon Trust" have anything to do with vehicles that use LOX and LH2 for fuel and are built out of Li-Al?

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