Amazon signs launch contract with SpaceX

Behind the Black ^ | Robert Zimmerman

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

Amazon on December 1, 2023 announced it has signed a three-launch contract with SpaceX to place its Kuiper satellites into orbit, supplementing the launch contracts it presently has with ULA, Arianespace, and Blue Origin. From the Amazon press release:

""SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage launch vehicle designed for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond, and it has completed more than 270 successful launches to date. Project Kuiper has contracted three Falcon 9 launches, and these missions are targeted to lift off beginning in mid-2025.""

In 2022 Amazon had signed contracts with the other three launch companies, with ULA getting 38 Vulcan launches (in addition to 9 already signed for its Atlas-5), Arianespace getting 18 Ariane-6 launches, and Blue Origin getting 12 New Glenn launches.

The problem however is that, except for the Atlas-5, none of these rockets has yet completed its first flight.

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

This is hilarious. Bezos began the Blue Origin rocket, space company the same month Musk began SpaceX. SpaceX is reusing rockets 17-18 times, driving down the launch expenses from billions to millions. Blue Origin has launched Captain Kirk (no orbit, just up and down).

I read recently that Bezos/Blue Origin are purchasing another rocket company. Want to bet they will slap the Blue Origin logo on the rockets and announce Blue Origin successful.

Who knows how far along SpaceX and Starship would be if the Hussein/Biden Regime were not in the way. There were times during the first President Trump administration that SpaceX was testing aspects of Starship once a month. I often explain to those that will listen the concept of test-to-failure. If you want to know how strong a fuel tank is, what is the maximum pressure possible, they kept filling it until it failed. May look spectacular, and now they determined the maximum pressure for the tank. The test was successful, but the Drive-By Media will never report it as such.

I hope to live long enough to witness Starship orbit Mars, with or without humans on board.

[blam]

I read that some government agencies are trying to block or delay Starship tests, etc.

I agree with my son, a physicist, that Elon Musk is a national treasure.

[montag813]

Who knows how far along SpaceX and Starship would be if the Hussein/Biden Regime were not in the way. There were times during the first President Trump administration that SpaceX was testing aspects of Starship once a month.

Yep. And Biden/Obama's FAA puts a 3-month freeze on SpaceX every time "environmentalists" whine about a launch.

[Dr. Sivana]

Could Musk just throw some money at Mexico, and do his launches there, if we make life too difficult?

[NautiNurse]

In my best Mr. Spock voice, “Fascinating.”

[Advil000]

Wait, how does this work exactly?

You are telling me that SpaceX... makers and deployers of Starlink... are going to willingly launch their direct competitor’s satellite system?

Why?

Is Kuiper actually just rebadged Starlink and they’re both in it together?

[Yo-Yo]

In my best Mr. Spock voice, “Fascinating.”

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

“”Wait, how does this work exactly?

You are telling me that SpaceX... makers and deployers of Starlink... are going to willingly launch their direct competitor’s satellite system?””

Yep, come one, come all to the incredibly inexpensive (compared to all others) SpaceX Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy (3 Falcon 9 rockets strapped together), and soon, Super Heavy / Starship. Another satellite internet company OneWeb hired SpaceX to place some of its satellites in orbit. The European Space Association (ESA) has contracted with SpaceX to launch their GPS satellites. The ESA has retired its Ariane-5 rocket, and the Ariane-6 is 4 years behind schedule. Even when Ariane-6 is ready, it is not reusable. Some of the Falcon 9 rockets have launched 17-18 times, driving down the cost to launch.

[aynrandfreak]

Isn’t Bezos’s Washington Post one of the companies that pulled their ads from X? Musk should make him start advertising again first.

[Paladin2]

“If you want to know how strong a fuel tank is, what is the maximum pressure possible, they kept filling it until it failed.”

There’s Theory and then there is Practice....

[grobdriver]

Amazon signs launch contract with SpaceX

For.... deliveries to the space station? To the moon?

Mars?

[Tea Party Terrorist]

Satellites, to orbit the earth.

[Chode]

[minnesota_bound]

SpaceX better be careful, Amazon worked with Fedex and UPS then started up their own delivery service. FedEx dropped Amazon in 2019. Amazon is now bigger then either in number of packages delivered.