not sure if there is a general space thread, but just watching the New Shepard test. Why is it so small? Is it only designed for small payloads? Just looks odd
Sounds like they are just fufilling some easy altitude contracts and trying to earn some easy science to get some better parts from Kerbodyne.The payload is a suborbital passenger capsule for the most marginal kind of space tourism. The launch system doesn't need to get the capsule into orbit, just get it above the Kármán Line so the passengers can enjoy a brief period of weightlessness before the parachutes deploy. I suppose they then receive spaceflight certificates to commemorate the flight.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Shepard
Yep New Shepherd is a basic proof of concept/Space Tourism hybrid project, a lot of the technical detail they're going to come up with is going to go on their New Glenn rocket.
And on the SpaceX subject, Telstar 19V mission is this weekend on the second Block 5 Falcon 9 to be launched. It's currently due to static fire. Of Course I Still Love You has left port for a sea based first stage recovery.
I just hope this launch (and those soon after - we're hitting a busy few weeks) isn't overshadowed by the owner's recent poor conduct on social media :/
Yep New Shepherd is a basic proof of concept/Space Tourism hybrid project, a lot of the technical detail they're going to come up with is going to go on their New Glenn rocket.
Shepherd = first American to reach space. Appropriate name for their rocket that just briefly goes to space
Shepherd = first American to reach space. Appropriate name for their rocket that just briefly goes to space
Glenn = first American to orbit. Appropriate name for their first rocket that will reach orbit
The really big rocket that they're planning to do next is New Armstrong. No details on that yet, but Bezos has said that he hopes to do delivery services to the moon in the future, so that name would be appropriate for a rocket capable of moon missions.
Makes sense. The video didn't really make it clear that New Glenn was orbiting.
Yeah one of my favourite launches from a comms/info perspective.Flawless.
I really like the guy commentating. Concise but also also dispensing titbits of knowledge.
It should be noted that with Telstar 19 weighing in at 7075kg, SpaceX launched the heaviest commercial satellite ever.
Interesting. Although the Dragon fully laden probably weighs a bit more than that, it's only destined for the ISS at an altitude of 400Km. These Telstar satellites live way up there in geosynchronous orbit, so the launch system needs enough punch to put it into geosynchronous transfer orbit which will take it right up to 35000Km and above.
So block 4 wasn't able to return the 1st stage safely when getting a payload in geosync orbit?
Interesting. Although the Dragon fully laden probably weighs a bit more than that, it's only destined for the ISS at an altitude of 400Km. These Telstar satellites live way up there in geosynchronous orbit, so the launch system needs enough punch to put it into geosynchronous transfer orbit which will take it right up to 35000Km and above.
That's just the cargo mass. Add 4200kg for the dry mass of the Dragon capsule (plus a bit for propellants).I just looked up - the heaviest CRS mission was CRS-12 at 3312kg. That Telstar 19 payload was more than double! Amazing.
I just looked up - the heaviest CRS mission was CRS-12 at 3312kg. That Telstar 19 payload was more than double! Amazing.
The total payload for that mission would probably be something like cargo load (3312Kg) plus the dry mass of the Dragon capsule itself (4200Kg, according to Wikipedia.)
But for the Blue Origin logos, you could be excused for mistaking that video for a SpaceX F9 launch. Right down to the design of the recovery barge. Except SpaceX has already moved on to the F9 Heavy and has plans for the BFR, a heavy lift rocket system aimed at interplanetary transfer orbit capability as well as superseding the Falcon family in the satellite launch market.
So Bezos has a bit of catching up to do, it seems.
The recovery robot is on OCISLY on the East CoastI wonder if we'll see a little Roomba action to keep that stage upright.
JRTI caught the Telstar core. That one doesn't have a "house" for the grabber. Last time it was used was on TESS back in April.Ah. Didnt know they only had one of them - I understand it may have actually been used for that recovery too.