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bananas

(27,509 posts) Thu Apr 30, 2015, 07:05 PM Apr 2015

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' space company launches first rocket into space

Source: CNN

Blue Origin, the commercial space travel company Bezos founded, launched a surprise test flight of its New Shepard space vehicle Wednesday.

Bezos said in a statement that the rocket's engine "worked flawlessly."

"Any astronauts on board would have had a very nice journey into space and a smooth return," Bezos said.

However, he added that the rocket's "propulsion module," which was designed to be reusable, was not recovered because of a problem with the hydraulic system.

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Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/30/news/jeff-bezos-rocket-launch/index.html

6 replies

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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' space company launches first rocket into space (Original Post) bananas Apr 2015 OP

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos just launched a secret rocket to space bananas Apr 2015 #1

How bout a tube rocket from LA to NY Bezos? ErikJ Apr 2015 #2

You do know that it is faster to go up to orbit and back down, right? eggplant Apr 2015 #3

Tube rocket would be faster and 10 times cheaper ErikJ Apr 2015 #5

It was a delivery to the space station. They got hungry after that last supply rocket blew up.n/t jtuck004 Apr 2015 #4

Another billionaire who isn't paying enough in taxes. PSPS Apr 2015 #6

bananas

(27,509 posts)

1. Amazon boss Jeff Bezos just launched a secret rocket to space

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Thu Apr 30, 2015, 07:07 PM

Apr 2015

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27443-amazon-boss-jeff-bezos-just-launched-a-secret-rocket-to-space.html

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos just launched a secret rocket to space
11:27 30 April 2015 by Jacob Aron

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Bezos' rocket company, Blue Origin, has been working on sub-orbital space flight since 2000, with an eye on the space tourism market. Its New Shepard capsule and booster rocket system has been developed under a shroud of secrecy, with only a few short-range tests and one failed launch that reached a height of 14 kilometres before the firm lost control of the craft and had to blow it up.

The company's latest test flight was much more successful, powering to Mach 3 speeds and reaching a height of 93.6 kilometres. Once the rocket finished firing, its capsule was released, slowed by parachutes and returned safely to Earth.

The capsule is capable of carrying six people but was empty for this launch. "Any astronauts on board would have had a very nice journey into space and a smooth return," wrote Bezos in a statement about the launch. The generally accepted definition of space starts at 100 kilometres up, so this flight was very close.

However, the launch wasn't a total success because a loss of hydraulic pressure meant the firm wasn't able to recover the rocket's propulsion modules as planned. Like its rival SpaceX, Blue Origins is aiming to reduce the cost of space flight by reusing rocket components. "If New Shepard had been a traditional expendable vehicle, this would have been a flawless first test flight," wrote Bezos.

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