Blue Origin and New SHEPARD RLV

new picture of New Glenn hardware: one of landing legs
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bad news
according CNBC had Blue Origin incident with BE-4 engine
on June 30 2023 BO tested in West Texas a BE-4 engine, that after 10 seconds exploded.
lucky no one was injured but test stand was heavily damaged so eyewitness.
According sources to CNBC was this a BE-4 engine for Second Vulcan rocket.

This delay the Vulcan and New Glenn program further

Source:
www.cnbc.com

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket engine explodes during testing

It's a destructive setback with potential ramifications for the company's customer United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin's own rocket New Glenn.
www.cnbc.com www.cnbc.com
 
Well according to TheSpaceBucket the first launch of the New Glenn maybe closer than expected:


Blue Origin’s next generation, heavy lift launch vehicle New Glenn is supposed to be the future of the company and responsible for a host of important projects and missions. Recently, we learned from the company along with NASA that the maiden flight could be as early as next year. However, with very little progress available to the public, many doubt whether or not this timeline is possible.
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Fortunately, just days ago we got a sneak peek inside the factory, and learned more about where New Glenn is production-wise, and what the future looks like. Instead of a barren production floor, we saw an area filled to the brim with test hardware, domes, tank segments, etc. A promising sign that progress is being made and that a lot of testing is on the horizon.
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Usually, Blue Origin doesn’t share a lot of information on New Glenn and its development, keeping us wondering how far along the project is. As time goes on and they get closer to a maiden flight, we will likely get more updates. Here I will go more in-depth into New Glenn’s production progress, the maiden flight plan, the aggressive launch timeline, and more.
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Full article here - https://thespacebucket.com/new-glenn-...
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Imagine the look on Jeff Bezos's face if this pension-fund succeeds in forcing him to use Falcon 9 rockets;):D.
 
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Well, TheSpaceBucket has just put a video concerning the Amazon shareholders opinions towards the use of the Falcon 9:


Only days ago, a lengthy public suit against Amazon regarding its Project Kuiper decision was filed. Project Kuiper, similar to Starlink, is trying to increase global broadband access through a constellation of over 3,000 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). Back in early 2022, Amazon signed and announced significant launch contracts with Blue Origin’s New Glenn, ULA’s Vulcan, and Arianespace’s Ariane 6.
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In the suit, however, shareholders claim that Amazon “acted in bad faith” and made no effort to properly discharge their fiduciary duties when picking the launch providers. They primarily claim that SpaceX, the leader within the industry was glossed over and not even considered when making the decision. If that were the case, they would have a valid point considering the cost per launch and timeline these satellites are meant to launch by.
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The suit puts a lot of focus on Blue Origin and the relationship between Musk and Bezos. They strongly suggest that SpaceX was excluded from consideration from the Project Kuiper competition because of the rivalry between the two. Here I will go more in-depth into this new lawsuit, what it means for the future launches, its significance, and more.
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Full article here - https://thespacebucket.com/shareholde...
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TheSpaceBucket has just put out a video about Blue Origin's plans to ramp up BE-4 production:


Right now, Blue Origin is trying its best to create more flight-capable BE-4 engines than ever before. With current and future demand soaring, what once was an engine stuck in development, is now the backbone of hundreds of future missions. This bump in production will need to be nearly perfect as rockets such as ULA’s Vulcan and eventually New Glenn begin to fly.
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Blue Origin has two main factories producing these engines among others, one in Washington and one in Alabama. Recently we learned that one of the company’s relatively new factories is starting to outperform the other and a lot faster than expected. This is a good sign for the company and a pattern they will need to keep up.
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While the BE-4 engine test stand explosion a few months ago was not ideal, Blue Origin and Tory Bruno assured everyone that it was human error rather than a problem with the engine itself. By now they have moved past that anomaly and are focusing on maximizing engine production. Here I will go more in-depth into the current engine production, what the future demand will look like, whether or not Blue Origin can keep up, and more.
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Full article here - https://thespacebucket.com/how-is-be-...
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One year ago Blue Origin lost New Shepard during flight
follow a vage statement by BO about what happen and flight resume in 2023:

The nozzle on the booster's single BE-3PM engine suffered "structural fatigue failure,"
which caused a thrust misalignment that triggered the capsule's emergency escape system
"The structural fatigue was caused by operational temperatures that exceeded
the expected and analyzed values of the nozzle material,"

"Testing of the BE-3PM engine began immediately following the mishap and established that the flight configuration of the nozzle operated at hotter temperatures than previous design configurations,"
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since then nothing...
but still 3 month until end of 2023.
 
An update of the New Shepard's status from TheSpaceBucket:


The last time Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket launched was September 12th, 2022, meaning it has now been over a year since the last flight. The rocket went from launching crew and different payloads every few months to staying grounded. This all has to do with the last flight which suffered an in-flight engine anomaly and the activation of the capsule abort system.
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The booster proceeded to crash into the desert floor while the capsule deployed parachutes and landed safely on the ground. Even though there were no crew aboard, New Shepard often does carry humans which caused a large investigation and look into exactly what went wrong. This revealed issues with the main engine and the engine’s nozzle in particular.
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Now a full year after this anomaly, the question becomes what does the future look like for this launch vehicle. Here I will go more in-depth into what Blue Origin has been working on, the future of New Shepard, the mishap investigation, and more.
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Full article here - https://thespacebucket.com/what-happe...
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I hadn't realised that it has been a year since its last flight.
 
There news about BO

first
Team Blue,

It’s been about six years since I joined Blue Origin. During that time, our team, facilities, and sales orders have grown dramatically, and we’ve made significant contributions to the history of spaceflight.
With pride and satisfaction in all that we’ve accomplished, I’m announcing that effective December 4, I will be stepping aside as Chief Executive Officer of Blue Origin. I will remain with Blue until January 2 to ensure a smooth transition with the new CEO.

It has been my privilege to be part of this great team, and I am confident that Blue Origin’s greatest achievements are still ahead of us. We’ve rapidly scaled this company from its prototyping and research roots to a large, prominent space business. We have the right strategy. a supremely talented team, a robust customer base, and some of the most technically ambitious and exciting projects in the entire industry. We also have a team that cares deeply about its mission, legacy, and how we contribute to the next generation and bring everyone into a brighter future.

Jeff and I have been discussing my plan for months, and Jeff will announce Blue’s new CEO in a separate note shortly. I’m very excited about the operational excellence and culture of innovation this new leader will bring to Blue. building on the foundation we’ve created over the past few years.

I’m committed to ensuring this transition is flawless, and everyone should know that Ill always be on Team Blue.

Gradatim Ferociter.

Bob Smith
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Second
I’m excited to share that Dave Limp will join Blue starting December 4th as CEO, replacing Bob, who has elected to step aside on January 2. The overlap is purposeful to ensure a smooth transition.
Before I provide some background on Dave, I’d like to take the time to recognize Bob and the significant growth and transformation we’ve experienced during his tenure. Under Bob’s leadership, Blue has grown to several billion dollars in sales orders, with a substantial backlog for our vehicles and engines. Our team has increased from 850 people when Bob joined to more than 10,000 today. We’ve expanded from one office in Kent to building a launch pad at LC-36 and five million square feet of facilities across seven states.
Our mission has grown too – we’ve flown 31 people above the Kármán Line, almost five percent of all the people who have been to space. Flight-qualified BE-4 engines are ready to boost Vulcan into orbit. New Glenn is nearing launch next year, and, with our recent NASA contract, we will land Americans back on the Moon, this time to stay. We have also engaged and inspired millions of children and educators through our Club for the Future efforts. We’ve made tremendous progress in building a road to space for the benefit of Earth, thanks to each of you and Bob’s leadership.
I’ve worked closely with Dave for many years. He is the right leader at the right time for Blue. Dave joins us after almost 14 years at Amazon, where he most recently served as senior vice president of Amazon Devices and Services, leading Kuiper, Kindle, Alexa, Zoox, and many other businesses. Before Amazon, Dave had roles at other high-tech companies, including Palm and Apple. Dave is a proven innovator with a customer-first mindset and extensive experience leading and scaling large, complex organizations. Dave has an outstanding sense of urgency, brings energy to everything, and helps teams move very fast.
Please join me in welcoming Dave and thanking Bob. Through this transition, I know we’ll remain focused on our customer commitments, production schedules, and executing with speed and operational excellence. I look forward to the many exciting and historic milestones ahead of us!

Jeff Bezos
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So if i get that Right, Bezos fires that Aerospace Manager to replace him by a consumer electronic Manager at BO ?
Why do i hear diabolic laughter from SpaceX ?

Source:
www.cnbc.com

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to replace CEO Bob Smith with outgoing Amazon exec Dave Limp

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will replace CEO Bob Smith with outgoing Amazon exec Dave Limp, CNBC has learned.
www.cnbc.com www.cnbc.com
 
NMaude said:
How badly will this replacement effect Blue Origin?
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Now they replace the Aerospace Guy who manage BO for Management sake,
With consumer electronic Guy that gave us ALEXA, Fire TV, Kindle and Echo...
 
Has there ever been consideration of moving BO's thread to Theoretical, Fake and Generic Projects?

They just passed their 23rd anniversary and have yet to put one atom into orbit. They have never performed as if they are serious about getting payloads or people to orbit. They just build their buildings, parade their unflown booster around on a trailer, file their lawsuits, and keep promising Tory they'll deliver his engines.

Oh, they just announced a new CEO. I'll bet that fixes everything /S
 
Richard N said:
Has there ever been consideration of moving BO's thread to Theoretical, Fake and Generic Projects?
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Sounds good.

Smith had to go.

I think it was Kanye who floated a reality TV series where someone could be his manager.

--meaning: "when my crew asks for money, you be the bad-guy and tell them 'no.'"

That was Smith's job.

Blue needs a leader who will say to Bezos "focus less on your arm-candy Bubbles there--we have work to do."

Bezos likes being rich.
That's the problem.

Musk on the other hand, will likely die homeless and penny less--under a viaduct--while looking up at Starships headed for Mars.

That's his passion.
 
Some info about Bob Smith career:

He has degrees in engineering/applied mathematics/business from Texas A&M, Brown University
and MIT’s Sloan School of Management
He also has a Ph.D. from the University of Texas in aerospace engineering.

The Aerospace Corporation, He work as a guidance, navigation & control analyst and a program manager for a number of DoD and national security programs.
Then he became the Systems Director of the NASA Programs Office and the site manager for Houston operations. In that capacity, he served as the business leader for all of Aerospace’s efforts at each of the major NASA centers.

From 1999-2004 he served as Executive Director of the Space Shuttle Upgrades Development Program
under United Space Alliance

Became the President of Mechanical Systems and Components at Honeywell Aerospace.
This business unit produces air & thermal systems, wheels and brakes, engine/missile/space components
and actuation and also manages its DoE businesses.
Then he was the VP of Advanced Technology for Honeywell Aerospace. and managed the multi-year technology programs there.

2006 -2016. Smith was CTO for Honeywell Aerospace and manage the product development, innovation and business execution for the engineering function.

2016-2023 Smith was CEO of Blue Origin.


And Now David Limp:
Bachelor Degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from Vanderbilt University and
a Master of Science Degree in Management from Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.

1987 to 1996 he worked at Apple in various positions
1997 to 2002, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Liberate Technologies.
Then at Palm as Chief Strategy Officer and four years as Venture Partner of Azure Capital Partners.
worked in Amazon from 2010-2023
oversees the development, retail sales, and operational aspects of Amazon’s consumer electronic devices
and the services behind them:
Alexa, Echo, eero, Kindle, Fire TV, Fire tablets, Halo, Ring, Blink, Day 1 Editions, Amazon Key, and Amazon Appstore.
also well as other initiatives such as Project Kuiper and Zoox.

Source Linkin & Google
 
News about New Shepard
Seems they restart operation in October 2023 with unmanned flights first
source: NSF at X
FAA Statement on closure to the New Shepard mishap investigation:"The FAA has closed the Blue Origin New Shepard 23 mishap investigation.
The final report cites the proximate cause of the Sept. 12, 2022, mishap as the structural failure of an engine nozzle caused by higher-than-expected engine operating temperatures. The FAA required Blue Origin implement 21 corrective actions to prevent mishap reoccurrence, including redesign of engine and nozzle components to improve structural performance during operation as well as organizational changes.During the mishap the onboard launch vehicle systems detected the anomaly, triggered an abort and separation of the capsule from the propulsion module as intended and shut down the engine. The capsule landed safety and the propulsion module was destroyed upon impact with the ground. All debris landed within the designated hazard area. Public safety was maintained at all times with no injuries or public property damage."
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FAA Closes Blue Origin Mishap Investigation

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

The FAA has closed the Blue Origin New Shepard 23 mishap investigation. The final report cites the proximate cause of the Sept. 12, 2022, mishap as the structural failure of an engine nozzle caused by higher than expected engine operating temperatures. The FAA required Blue Origin implement 21 corrective actions to prevent mishap reoccurrence, including redesign of engine and nozzle components to improve structural performance during operation as well as organizational changes.

During the mishap the onboard launch vehicle systems detected the anomaly, triggered an abort and separation of the capsule from the propulsion module as intended and shut down the engine. The capsule landed safety and the propulsion module was destroyed upon impact with the ground. All debris landed within the designated hazard area. Public safety was maintained at all times with no injuries or public property damage.

The closure of the mishap investigation does not signal an immediate resumption of New Shepard launches. Blue Origin must implement all corrective actions that impact public safety and receive a license modification from the FAA that addresses all safety and other applicable regulatory requirements prior to the next New Shepard launch.

Contact Blue Origin for additional information. Learn more about mishap investigations.

Background

The FAA oversaw the Blue Origin-led investigation to ensure the company complied with its FAA-approved mishap plan, the terms and conditions of its license and other regulatory requirements.
The FAA was involved in every step of the mishap investigation and granted NASA and the National Transportation Safety Board official observer status.

The mishap investigation report contains proprietary data and U.S Export Control information and is not available for public release.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1707142934129226074
View: https://twitter.com/joroulette/status/1707142934129226074


A Blue Origin spokesperson, responding to various questions like whether any of the corrective actions have already been implemented, simply says "we’ve received the FAA’s letter and plan to fly soon."
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1707144333114106021
View: https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1707144333114106021


I got the same response from Blue. Worth noting that in March, when the company released its results of the investigation, it stated, "Blue Origin expects to return to flight soon." That was six months ago.
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Blue Origin's New Sheppard is grounded for now awaiting FAA approval, from TheSpaceBucket:


A few months after the NS-23 incident, Blue Origin released a full mission report. This outlined what went wrong and what led to an engine failure and the abort of the capsule during New Shepard’s flight. Since then, the company hasn’t said much in regard to the specific mission or progress on the suborbital rocket. That was until yesterday when the FAA provided an update on the vehicle.
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Specifically, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that they have finally closed the New Shepard investigation. However, they also made it clear that the closure does not signal an immediate resumption of New Shepard launches. In reality, there is a somewhat extensive list of corrective actions Blue Origin needs to make in order to get approved for another launch.
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This comes as the company works toward the first uncrewed flight and then an expected ramp-up in crewed missions. A process that will have to wait until the FAA is satisfied. Here I will go more in-depth into the investigation closure, the future timeline of New Shepard, what Blue Origin has been working on since last year, and more.
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Full article here - https://thespacebucket.com/the-faa-ju...
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Blue Origin is working with Rocket Lab on a mission to Mars, from TheSpaceBucket:


It’s been a rough month for Rocket Lab after the loss of their most recent Electron vehicle along with its payload. As they start to investigate what went wrong, they are continuing to work on upcoming projects like the ESCAPADE mission. It’s important to point out that Rocket Lab as a company is much more than just a small lift launch provider. While losing a vehicle in flight is not good, it’s not the end of the world for the company.
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ESCAPADE is a great example as Rocket Lab’s primary contribution is not Electron, but instead, two interplanetary Photon spacecraft intended to reach Mars. Just days ago the company released a small update on their progress. With a launch date next year in 2024, progress is coming along quickly, and not too long from now we’ll see some final testing.
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Interestingly, these Rocket Lab spacecraft are actually intended to launch on New Glenn. An ambitious gamble by NASA but one they believe will pan out successfully if Blue Origin stays on track. Here I will go more in-depth into this mission, what progress Rocket Lab has made, the decision to use New Glenn, and more.
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Full article here - https://thespacebucket.com/rocket-lab...
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This looks like it might be one of the New Glenn's first payloads but the question is when will the New Glenn fly?
 
There's a question as to what the New Glenn's first-stage landing plan is, from TheSpaceBucket:


Blue Origin is in the process of manufacturing and testing various New Glenn hardware with the goal of launching for the first time next year. This next-generation launch vehicle has been under development for over a decade now and features a large design, payload capacity, reusable first stage, and other complex features. All of which have contributed among other reasons, to the extensive development of this hardware.
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One particular area of interest for many has been the first stage downrange landing pad. In this case, as we have seen with the Falcon 9, certain missions require a landing platform in the ocean as the first stage doesn’t have enough propellant to return all the way back to land. In Blue Origin’s case, the plan for this process has changed quite a bit over time.
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What started as a massive cargo ship meant to be converted into a mobile landing platform, changed to drone ships similar to SpaceX. This being said, following Blue Origin’s theme of keeping a lot of info to themselves, we haven’t heard practically anything on these platforms in a long time. Here I will go more in-depth into Blue Origin’s landing plan, the initial difficulties, progress, and more.
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Full article here - https://thespacebucket.com/what-is-bl...
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BO newest Mock up
Blue Moon Cargo lander

ehh meh, what about real working hardware like New Glenn ?

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Now NASA made a announcement
in November 2024 the Escapade Mission will be launch on the New Glenn rocket...

That's Two Mars orbiter build by RocketLab
hey, SpaceX keep a Falcon 9 ready, just in case that Amazon vapor ware is still not ready to fly...
 
Michel Van said:
Now NASA made a announcement
in November 2024 the Escapade Mission will be launch on the New Glenn rocket...

That's Two Mars orbiter build by RocketLab
hey, SpaceX keep a Falcon 9 ready, just in case that Amazon vapor ware is still not ready to fly...
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My own theory (for what's its worth) is that NASA is lighting a fire under Bezos a$$. Indeed Blue Origin now has an HLS contract for their Blue Moon lunar lander: so they have to show something; fly anything.

Giving B.O that ESCAPADE low-risk launch contract is a way of kicking them - positively.

"Here's a NASA payload. Proof that we trust you. Now, go fly that New Glenn at last !"

What is interesting is that the other "sick man" - ULA - has the Peregrine lunar lander attached to their Vulcan first flight.

EDIT: just remembered that New Glenn and Vulcan have something else in common: the BE-4 engine.

Bottom line: NASA seemingly stimulates SpaceX competitors, contracting them for (prestigious) robotic missions to the Moon and Mars.

The more rocket providers, the merrier - even if SpaceX does a very good job.

And then are rumors of ULA sale. If B.O eats them for lunch, it would consolidates BE-4 launch vehicles and bring together ESCAPADE, Peregrine, and that Blue Moon lander.
 
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martinbayer said:
Still more sane than spending one thousand times as much money on buying Twitter, renaming it X, and pissing off advertisers...
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Seems that Bezos workers have massively binged on coke and red bull. See how fast they work: the camera can't catch up ! (I'll get my coat).
 

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