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Watch Blue Origin's test dummy experience space tourism
Yesterday we got an exterior view of the first flight for Blue Origin's Crew Capsule 2.0, but now the company is back to show us what it's like from inside. Its plan is to offer "space tourism" trips that take six people at a time beyond the Karman Line to experience weightlessness and views through the capsule's "biggest windows in space." The test capsule isn't looking as polished as the concept images we'd seen before, but this 11-minute video is a pretty good preview of what customers can expect when Blue Origin starts putting real people on top of its New Shepard spacecraft. Plus, according to Jeff Bezos, passengers will be able to get out of their seats to experience zero-g, and on the ground perhaps enjoy the company of this Blue2D2 landing pad robot. Take that, SpaceX drone ship.
Blue Origin tests Crew Capsule 2.0 with 'biggest windows in space'
Jeff Bezos' rocket company isn't quite ready for space tourism, but today's test flight gets it a bit closer. Bezos tweeted that for the first time, Blue Origin has tested version 2.0 of its Crew Capsule, and while he didn't mention how luxurious the test unit is, it does feature "the largest windows in space." Measuring at 2.4 feet wide and 3.6 feet high, they gave the test dummy a great view from 322,405 feet above ground level.
Blue Origin’s BE-4 rocket engine completes first hot-fire test
Blue Origin was a bit of a mystery to the public for quite awhile. After all, unlike competitor SpaceX, the company haven't always been welcoming to the scrutiny that comes with inviting the media in. But that changed in early 2016, when reporters were invited into the space tourism company's headquarters for the first time. Since then, Jeff Bezos' company has been more open with the public, and yesterday it tweeted about a new milestone. The company's BE-4 engine successfully completed a hot-fire test. The engine was fired at 50 percent power for three seconds, according to Ars Technica.
Jeff Bezos’ rocket company has its first Asian customer
Blue Origin, which is Jeff Bezos' rocket company, just announced a milestone at the 68th Annual International Astronautical Congress. It has partnered with the connnectivity company mu Space, based in Thailand, to launch a satellite with the New Glenn rocket. This is the first partnership between the Blue Origin and an Asia-Pacific client, and the third company to sign up for a New Glenn launch.
Facebook has mapped the population of 23 countries in incredible detail (updated)
In its research into the best way to provide the internet to the entire world, Facebook has mapped where all 7.5 billion people on the planet live. By combining government census data and satellite images along with some help from Facebook's image recognition neural network, the company can now locate every single man-made structure to within just five meters. The mapping technology is being used to figure how to deliver internet to populations that currently don't have it or have poor connections to it. Along with ground networks, Facebook has determined that using drones and satellites will be most effective in pushing connectivity further. CNBC reports that Facebook's head of strategic innovation partnerships and sourcing, Janna Lewis, said at the Space Technology and Investment Forum this week, "We're trying to connect people from the stratosphere and from space."
Blue Origin will take you on a (simulated) space ride at Oshkosh
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is displaying its historic New Shepard rocket and offering simulated space rides at the EAA AirVenture convention in Oshkosh. That's the same New Shepard that served as key for the company to beat SpaceX in the reusable rocket race. In November 2015, it flew over the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and outer space before heading back down to become the first rocket to achieve a vertical landing. Blue Origin then used it for four more missions in 2016 to prove that it truly is reusable.
Jeff Bezos pumps his personal fortune into Blue Origin
Every year, the US government grants NASA a budget of tens of billions to fund its terrestrial and extraterrestrial research. Just last month, President Trump signed an order confirming it would get $19.1 billion in 2018 in what he called a "national commitment" to "human space exploration." Space is expensive, and it's the main reason why the agency has stepped back from its own rocket launches. However, a number of private companies have stepped up in its place, all of which are financed, in part, by billionaire businessmen. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, for example, has revealed that he is selling about $1 billion in Amazon stock each year just to fund his personal race to space.
Blue Origin's New Shepard wins prestigious aeronautics award
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket has been winning awards left, right and center, but this one is "personally meaningful" for company chief Jeff Bezos. The reusable rocket has been chosen to receive the Collier Trophy for 2016, presented to those who've made the "greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America" for the past year. New Shepard is the latest in the list of impressive awardees, which include Boeing for the 747 and its successors, the Navy for its autonomous X-47B aircraft and NASA JPL for landing Curiosity on Mars.
Blue Origin offers a look inside its tourist rocket's capsule
Blue Origin has given you plenty of glimpses of the outside of its tourism-oriented New Shepard rocket, but what about the inside -- you know, the place where you'll spend all of your time? You now have an idea of what to expect. Jeff Bezos' spaceflight operation has released its first interior photos of New Shepard's capsule, and it's clear that we've come a long way from the days of cramped, utilitarian spacecraft cabins. The windows are enormous (just shy of 43 inches tall), and the interior is relatively spacious. You won't mistake the capsule for a cruise ship, but it's undoubtedly designed for civilian sightseers used to some creature comforts.
Blue Origin shows how 'New Glenn' rocket will fly and land
Yesterday Blue Origin showed off the BE-4 engine for its "New Glenn" rocket, and today CEO Jeff Bezos revealed its launch customer and an animation showing how it'll fly. Its new ship is capable of putting a 50-ton payload into a low-Earth orbit or 14 tons in a geosynchronous orbit and then landing the first stage on a moving barge (video, below). That's nearly identical, of course, to what the SpaceX Falcon 9 can do. Blue Origin has also landed the New Shepard's first stage multiple times (on land), but it's not an orbital-capable rocket like the Falcon 9.
Blue Origin's latest rocket engine is finally complete
After six years of development, the first of Blue Origin's new BE-4 rocket engines has finally been fully assembled. The company's founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, debuted the images via a series of tweets.
Peter Thiel pushes for commercial space flight in Trump's NASA
Peter Thiel is using his position in Trump's transition team to make sure commercial space grows even further under the new administration. A few weeks ago, the President-Elect named the first members of NASA's "landing team," who all seemed to favor a space agency that builds its own spacecraft and rockets with legacy government contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin. According to The Wall Street Journal, though, Thiel "argued forcefully" for private space companies' place in Trump's NASA, essentially acting as the spokesperson for SpaceX's Elon Musk and Blue Origin's Jeff Bezos who share his concerns.
ICYMI: Wetsuits will be modeled on the cutest sea creatures
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: MIT researchers are creating a two-layer wetsuit modeled off of the pelts of sea otters and beavers, who are able to stay warm in chilly water despite not having the layer of blubber that whales and dolphins have. Meanwhile bumblebees are being trained to pull strings to get a sweet reward. The ease with which they've taught each other is surprising scientists, who hadn't known the little guys could be trained. If you're interested in the origami bird that can be controlled with hand motions, that's here. And the video of Blue Origin being tested is here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Blue Origin successfully tests its crew escape system
Blue Origin's escape system test went by without a hitch. Jeff Bezos' private spaceflight outfit successfully ejected the crew capsule from the New Shepherd rocket about 45 seconds after launch, shooting it away at about 400MPH before parachutes carried it safely to Earth. On top of this, Blue Origin landed New Shepherd again -- there were worries that the capsule's rocket would damage the booster and prevent it from landing safely. You can watch it yourself below, starting at the 1:05:58 mark.
Watch Blue Origin test its crew escape system on October 4th (update: now the 5th)
Blue Origin is about to take an important step toward its first manned flights. Jeff Bezos and company are planning to test New Shepherd's mid-flight escape system on October 4th, with a live stream beginning at 10:50AM Eastern. The firm promises that it will be "dramatic," and that may not just be hyperbole. When the crew capsule fires its rocket to make a getaway, there's a chance that it could damage the booster and prevent it from landing. That's not a problem in a real emergency, but unfortunate if you're hoping that this New Shepherd (which has flown four times before) will live to fly another day. This could be either wonderfully uneventful, full of explosions or a mixture of both -- you'll just have to watch to find out. Update: Blue Origin delayed the flight to the 5th due to weather. You can tune in below at 10:45AM Eastern.
Jeff Bezos' next rocket is a massive, reusable booster
Jeff Bezos isn't about to let SpaceX have the private heavy-duty rocket field to itself. Blue Origin has introduced New Glenn (named after astronaut John Glenn), a massive reusable booster rocket that makes SpaceX's Falcon Heavy look modest. The two-stage model already dwarfs the Falcon at 270 feet tall, while the three-stage version is nearly as tall as the legendary Saturn V at 313 feet. Yes, it's more than a little Freudian, but it'll be helpful getting both satellites and people into space.
The birth of a spaceport
The government may have ceded the development of spaceships to companies, but Cape Canaveral Air Force Station remains a key site for space exploration. Together with the neighboring Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral played an integral part in the space race, and continues to host launches to this day.
Blue Origin lands its reusable rocket a fourth time
Blue Origin's reusable rocket is practically running like clockwork. The private spaceflight outfit has successfully landed its New Shepard rocket a fourth time (during its first-ever live stream), touching down with a seemingly effortless amount of grace. Jeff Bezos and company weren't just showing off, though. They also successfully tested the redundancy of the crew capsule's parachute system, showing that the capsule can survive even if one of the chutes fails. We're still a long way from testing a manned capsule (the windows are still painted on in this version), but it's an important step toward the goal of lower-cost space travel. You can watch the entire replay below -- if you want to cut to the chase, the launch starts around the 1h 2m mark.
Blue Origin will livestream its next launch on June 19th
Jeff Bezos' spaceflight outfit Blue Origin has kept their first three New Shepard rocket launches under wraps in the past, only posting videos and announcements after the the booster safely returned to Earth. But for its fourth test flight, the company will be streaming the whole thing live from its West Texas launch facility.
Blue Origin and NASA team up to test new technologies in space
NASA has just added Jeff Bezos' space travel company Blue Origin to its list of carriers approved for carrying new technologies to space. The partnership is part of the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), which allows other space travel organizations outside of the government to test new technologies in microgravity or zero gravity environments. Blue Origin's part in all this is its payload system that works something like a stack of miniature shipping containers, with each one wired with power, cameras, telemetry data and control systems to carry out and monitor microgravity research on its New Shepherd suborbital vehicle. Experiments sent up on the New Shepherd will get about three minutes time in "a high-quality, microgravity environment" at a height of over 100 km. In the future, as Blue Origin gets closer to manned flights, researchers will eventually be able to fly along for hands-on space experiments. Until then, Blue Origin will sell a benchtop development unit that can be used to program experiments from the comfort of your own lab. Rounding out the rest of NASA's STMD roster are: Masten Space Systems, Near Space Corporation, UP Aerospace, Virgin Galactic and World View Enterprises.
