Blue Origin's New Shepard flight today was very much within their engineering philosophy -- carefully planned, carefully engineered, and executed without a bobble. If SpaceX is a "move fast and break things" company, Blue Origin believes in "never show unfinished work," and have exercised a great deal of control in both their experimental program and access to it. When they're ready to pull back the curtain, they're ready.
It paid off today.
There are many paths to success and I am pleased to see a variety of successful approaches to the difficult work of spaceflight.
Jeff Bezo's space program is not just an up-and-back outfit, either. Blue Origin's orbital rocket, the New Glenn, may fly as soon as late next year. Those rockets launch from Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, just down the road (and across the line between KSC and CCSFS) from SpaceX's current launch location, 39A, and very near (by spaceport standards) to LZ-1 and 2,* the SpaceX ground landing locations.
Looks like the high frontier's finally opening up.
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* Not this LZ-1 and 2!
I have to hand it to Jeff Bezos, he put himself at risk today and landing on earth instead of in the ocean is the cherry on top for his team. The fact that they got above the Kaman line with only one engine is really impressive
ReplyDeleteThe whole flight was by the numbers and so almost boring, but that is the way it should be.
As Tam said on her blog, the commentators kept yammering over mission control and the crew.
ReplyDeleteOne thing Cronkite and the other news people back in the day knew was when to talk and when to be quiet.
As you said, Bezos and Musk have different operating philosophies, but they seem headed in the right direction. And Blue Origin may not be as far behind as I thought. This may leave NASA's Orion orbiter the odd ship out in the race back to space.