Bezos Goes to Space

[Alan Dunkin]

Two months ago I remember reading that Bezos' company Blue Origin filed a request with the FCC to restrict flight over their West Texas spaceport, meaning they probably planned to do some kind of launch. They succeeded I suppose, with the vehicle and propulsion system that resembled the DC-X Delta Clipper from the 90s (though it just looks like it's just gas exhaust):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6230245.stm

http://crunchgear.com/2007/01/04/amazons-bezos-shows-off-egg-shaped-spacecraft/

--- Alan

[Linoleum]

It looks like the Goddard vehicle is a testbed for what would evolve into the passenger module for New Shepherd.

Goddard looks to be using monoprop engines (high concentration H2O2), which makes sense for early testing. I believe later vehicles will be using RP-1/H2O2.

[Malderi]

It didn't go into space, either. It's an amazing achievement for them, but they only launched a sub-scale test article that went up to about 1,000 feet. Launched and landed vertically on rocket engines, which is pretty amazing. Kudos to them but it isn't quite "space".

[Alan Dunkin]

Actually it only went 85m. The "to Space" part was being a bit satirical.

--- Alan

[Kyle Wilson]

Screw Powell's, I'm buying from Amazon.

[noun]

I totally support shooting Jeff Bezos into space.

[RepoMan]

Carmack (http://www.armadilloaerospace.com) vs. Bezos (http://public.blueorigin.com/index.html). Race to 100 km! Then race to space!

Unfortunately I'd have to side with the billionaire on this one. Too damn bad he's not doing it as openly as Carmack, though, because I'd love all the inside tech details. Wonder if they'll make an entry in the X-Prize Cup next year... I hope not, because if they do, they might beat Carmack, and Carmack's team needs the money more!

[Alan Dunkin]

What a perfect backdrop to make a new Race to Space game, featuring multi-millionaire/-billionaire entrepreneurs battling for X-prizes, orbital tourist stops, etc.

--- Alan

[Aszurom]

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[Linoleum]

Unfortunately I'd have to side with the billionaire on this one. Too damn bad he's not doing it as openly as Carmack, though, because I'd love all the inside tech details. Wonder if they'll make an entry in the X-Prize Cup next year... I hope not, because if they do, they might beat Carmack, and Carmack's team needs the money more!

Unlikely, since Goddard is almost certainly using H2O2 in greater than 70% concentration, which isn't an allowed propellant for the Lunar Lander Challenge.

Edit: Also coming up in the next several weeks will be the second launch attempt of SpaceX's Falcon 1. Hopefully this will go better than the first launch attempt in March of last year. SpaceX is run by Elon Musk, who has a lot more money than Carmack, but much less than Bezos. Also a traditional staged rocket, not a suborbital VTVL vehicle.