Posted on 06/13/2005 5:48:12 PM PDT by KevinDavis
Details of a new passenger-carrying rocket are emerging from Blue Origin, the Seattle-based company spearheaded by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com. The first test flight of the rocket in unpiloted mode is slated for late next year.
On the group’s web site, they have posted an update on their reusable launch vehicle (RLV) work. The exposure is tied to steps needed in securing an operator license from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation in Washington, D.C.
That FAA office has had several meetings with Blue Origin, said Patricia Smith, Associate Administrator for the Office of Commercial Space Transportation. She said that a representative from her office will be participating in Blue Origin activities this week.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
More good news. Let's just hope Congress and the FAA doesn't screw it up and try to legislate or regulate it to death.
I agree...
Maybe they could send some NASA engineers there to learn how to really make an RLV. That doesn't cost $5 billion for every launch.
"That doesn't cost $5 billion for every launch."
?
I just got through reading an article in PM that has one person stating that it costs somewhere aroung $5 billion for each launch of the shuttle. About 1000 times what it was originally supposed to cost.
They're off by about an order of magnitude. The ENTIRE budget of NASA is somewhere in the $15 Billion range, shuttle missions are not a third of the annual budget a pop.
What else do they have going on their? It is about the only thing that NASA has project wise right now. But you're right. That would be 0.5 Billion per flight not 5. Sorry bout that. I am not relying on my memory any more!!
Still, that's a whole lot more than the 10.5 million they predicted it would cost to launch. Also, if you take into account the $14 billion dollar overrun for the project development, the space shuttle is one very expensive reusable (hah) vehicle.
Talk is cheap. Somebody should tell Blue Origin to "put up or shut up". I'm getting tried of hearing about the Delta Clipper Jr. without seeing any hardward. Show us a picture, a drawing... something... or we will start to believe the whole project is BULL$#!T.
"We are building real hardware—not PowerPoint presentations."
Whatever- they can't even put together a PowerPoint presentation. I hope they prove me wrong, but I think this is nothing more then a businessman trying to get some attention.
Holtz
JeffersonRepublic.com
ISS
Shuttle
CEV
Unmanned programs, a la Voyager, The Mars missions on-planet and off, etc.
Aeronautics
Life science research
Shuttle and ISS are the two big bruisers in the budget, but NASA is busy with a lot of things.
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