• Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' rocket launches a rocket into space
    14 replies, posted
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEdk-XNoZpA[/media] [quote] Bezos' rocket company, Blue Origin, has been working on sub-orbital space flight since 2000, with an eye on the [URL="https://www.blueorigin.com/astronaut-experience"]space tourism market[/URL]. Its New Shepard capsule and booster rocket system has been developed under a shroud of secrecy, with only a [URL="http://www.newscientist.com/blog/space/2007/01/blue-origin-launch-video.html"]few short-range tests[/URL] and one failed launch that reached a height of 14 kilometres before the firm lost control of the craft [URL="http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2011/09/vertical-landing-rocket.html"]and had to blow it up[/URL]. The company's latest test flight was much more successful, powering to Mach 3 speeds and reaching a height of 93.6 kilometres. Once the rocket finished firing, its capsule was released, slowed by parachutes and returned safely to Earth.[/quote] Its a rocket to take space tourists for a short time into space, quite incapable for a full orbit. [URL="http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27443-amazon-boss-jeff-bezos-just-launched-a-secret-rocket-to-space.html#.VUI-fsabKUk"]New Scientist[/URL] [URL="http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/30/8520257/watch-jeff-bezos-rocket-new-shepard-launch"]The Verge[/URL] The people's reaction has so far been [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOZYoa_pod0"]this. [/URL]
I am not sure if this is attractive or comfortable enough for space tourists. I prefer Virgin and their way of getting people into space. [img]http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2009/12/3/1259865055620/Virgin-Galactics-SpaceShi-001.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=DMGaina;47631830]I am not sure if this is attractive or comfortable enough for space tourists. I prefer Virgin and their way of getting people into space. [img]http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2009/12/3/1259865055620/Virgin-Galactics-SpaceShi-001.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] Well if space tourism ever become feasible enough for the general public it can satisfy the niche market where the tourists get the full "astronaut experience" vertical launch.
Look at it! It's like a space Prius. In seriousness, it's always nice to see evidence of growing interest in space.
Oh come on, you don't need to make rockets even more phallic than they already are.
Lets hope a full orbit version becomes feasible, course I see space tourism more viable with space planes instead. Save the parachutes and vertical launches for experience astronauts and more serious missions.
imagine deliveries from space. "What's that, your package is in china? Well if you want we'll send it in a rocket and it'll be there in 6 hours. check your yard about that time." And it would only cost like 3000$ for shipping
Everyone is getting in on the "getting-stuff-to-space" business, it's so exciting. I wonder if multiple megacorporations with money to burn would be able to advance spaceflight technology as quickly as, say, two warring superpowers once did.
This is cool because we can let companies worry about space travel and not have every penny controlled by the government.
[QUOTE=Crimor;47632024]Oh come on, you don't need to make rockets even more phallic than they already are.[/QUOTE] This reminds that in Mass Effect, the asari were the only ones without phallic ships
That take off seemed... Quite low energy, most rocket launches you see when the engines are fired up its like an explosion going off, where this looks mild and stable. At what speed did that hit the ground on landing? Looked like a pretty big impact.
[QUOTE=Buck.;47632397]That take off seemed... Quite low energy, most rocket launches you see when the engines are fired up its like an explosion going off, where this looks mild and stable. At what speed did that hit the ground on landing? Looked like a pretty big impact.[/QUOTE] This is only going to 100km with a pretty small payload. A Danish volunteer group is trying to do the same: [url]https://www.youtube.com/user/CphSuborbitals[/url] Though I'd assume this rocket is carrying at least a couple of people, so it's bigger.
[QUOTE=Crimor;47632024]Oh come on, you don't need to make rockets even more phallic than they already are.[/QUOTE] Isn't that so they can [I]penetrate[/I] the atmosphere easier?
[QUOTE=DMGaina;47631830]I am not sure if this is attractive or comfortable enough for space tourists. I prefer Virgin and their way of getting people into space. [img]http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2009/12/3/1259865055620/Virgin-Galactics-SpaceShi-001.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] Na I'd rather ride what's equivalent to a Redstone missile into space, do it the Manley way. Plus the capsule thing is inherently safer, and this being just the first launch, they didn't take it up long, later launches will probably go to higher altitudes to extend the sub orbital time [editline]1st May 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Buck.;47632397]That take off seemed... Quite low energy, most rocket launches you see when the engines are fired up its like an explosion going off, where this looks mild and stable. At what speed did that hit the ground on landing? Looked like a pretty big impact.[/QUOTE] Its single stage which is impressive actually, doesn't seem to be rp-1/lox I almost want to say its methane fueled but that could be wrong. I just find it very interesting that this thing is so small for a suborbital rocket, like virgin galactic has been doing crazy stuff for years to get suborbital and this is just one engine on a small tank and it goes up and back down. Looks really reusable too
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