Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin will launch a geostationary satellite for Eutelsat Communications, sometime in 2021 or 2022 ..
Let Space Commerce Commence!
(abstracted from Space.com) The rocket is named “New Glenn ” after the first American to orbit Earth. Blue Origin has unveiled plans for two-stage and three-stage versions of New Glenn, both with a reusable first stage and an identical second stage. Each of the rockets will be powered by seven of the company’s BE-4 engines (the optional third stage will use a BE-3 engine), burning liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen. The company also has a contract to sell the BE-4 engines to United Launch Alliance to power its new Vulcan rocket.
The animated video shows a New Glenn rocket lifting off from what appears to be Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, which the company is leasing. High above the Earth, the rocket’s first stage separates from the payload carrier, which then delivers a satellite into orbit; the first stage then returns to Earth and touches down vertically on a ship’s landing pad.
That’s ‘will move’ into space. I worked as a contractor for Blue Origin. My co-workers were first rate, mostly quite young but mostly highly capable. The mid-managers that I worked with were another thing entirely. This may be the dividing line for long term success in mil and commercial space. The ‘old’ style space manager (me) vs the new version who don’t seem to understand or apply the fundamental difference between space operations another other high technology. Managers and schedule baby sitters for their bosses. I was there a short time and for the most part these are folks on a real mission but the youth arrogance and reliance on boiler shop management may cause problems. Blue’s strong point are some of their engines, relandable ships are also high potential but for now, because in part of SpaceX advancaws, getting the engines perfect (think Saturn F engines) will be the path of most acceptance and a ling term business model. One of my biggest surprises is that Jeff uses his Amazon HR model. Long term this may be more of a vulnerability for them than the managers. Re-usability is important but not as a technology demonstration. It’s a money issue and a big one. Modesty would be a good approach moving forward. Don’t recognize the word modesty? Look up JPL, NASA, Harvard, MIT, Apollo 1960-1975