Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk podcast.
This is a show where we discuss. The critical.
Crossroads. The shape SpaceX.
Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink and I'm your host Will
Walden. Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin is set
to resume human space flights of its New Shepherd rocket on May
19th, marking a return to suborbital space travel after
nearly two years. In this upcoming launch,
designated NS-25 will lift off from West TX and carry a six
person crew. The event shows the Blue
Origins. Renewed engagement of space
tourism and research missions followed a series of setbacks
and rigorous safety reassessments.
Now the crew for NS-25 mission includes several notable figures
such as Ed Dwight, who was the first black astronaut candidate
in the US. Despite his historical
significance, this flight will be Dwight's first journey into
space. Other crew members include Mason
Angel, an investor with a focus on space and defense industries,
and several other citizens with diverse backgrounds ranging from
entrepreneurs to retired professionals.
This marks the 7th launch of a crewed mission for the New
Shepherd vehicle and comes after a pause in operations due to a
mishap during an uncrewed flight in 2022.
The anomaly occurred approximately a minute after
launch, leading to the loss of the rocket booster.
Though the capsule safely parachuted back to Earth, the
2022 incident necessitated A thorough investigation by Blue
Origin under the oversight of the FAA.
Findings from March 2023 revealed that the mishap was
caused by excessive temperatures that led to catastrophic thermal
damage to the BE 3:00 PM engines nozzle.
Now, after an extensive review and the implementation of 21
corrective actions as mandated by the FAA, Blue Origin managed
to resume flights with a successful uncrewed mission in
December of 2023. This mission carried 33 payloads
to suborbital space and was crucial in providing the
vehicle's readiness for renewed passenger flights.
Now, Blue Origins Operational Pause allowed competitors like
Virgin Galactic to advance their commercial Space Flight efforts
unimpeded. Origin Galactic has continued to
launch successful flights, showing that there's a
competitive nature going on right now with space tourism.
Blue Origins New Shepherd rocket is fully reusable, designed for
both cargo and crude mission. The rocket and its capsule are
capable of reaching the Carmen line.
It's about 62 miles above the Earth.
It provides passengers with brief periods of weightlessness
and stunning views of the planet against the backdrop of space.
You can see the curve of the planet Earth from up there now.
The flight profile for New Shepherd missions is concise.
The total experience lasting is approximately 11 minutes from
launch to capsule touchdown. This quick journey provides an
intense but fleeting astronaut experience to his passengers.
NS-25's upcoming flight will contribute to Blue Origins
ongoing efforts to expand its role in space tourism alongside
other major projects like the development of the new Glen
Heavy lift rocket, the Blue Moon lunar Lander, and the Blue Ring
maneuverable spacecraft. And the success of Blue Origins
missions has broader implications for the commercial
spaceflight industry, showing that they are reliable and
there's safety in space travel going forward.
And each successful mission bolsters the company's
reputation and the overall feasibility of commercial space
tourism. Now, the return of crude flight
is particularly significant for Blue Origin, given the high
profile nature of past passengers such as Jeff Bezos
himself, William Shatner and Michael Strahan.
Now these missions have not only provided remarkable experiences,
but have also served as high visibility endorsements of
commercial space travel. Now, Blue Origin has also been a
part of significant research missions contributing to
scientific studies and experiments in a microgravity
environment. These missions provide valuable
data that can be used to enhance our understanding of space and
improve future technologies. The pricing strategy for Blue
Origin space flights remains particularly opaque.
Though the auction for the first ever ticket reached $28 million.
This high figure reflects both the novelty of the experience
and limited availability of seats, which may decrease with
increased flight frequency, and also competition from places
like Virgin Galactic and now with SpaceX, you can do a full
flight on a SpaceX rocket and a Crew Dragon capsule, where you
will orbit the Earth numerous times.
And as Blue Origin prepares for the NS-25 mission, the success
of this mission is crucial. That's just for Blue Origin, but
also for validating the safety measures implemented after the
2022 anomaly. Following the NS-25, Blue Origin
has plans for another suborbital tourism mission, indicating a
regular more flights in the future.
Now this is pivotal for maintaining momentum and public
interest in space tourism, and the competitive dynamics between
Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and also SpaceX are likely to
intensify as all these companies streamline their operations and
enhance their offerings. These rivalries are expected to
drive innovations and possibly reduce costs, making space
tourism more accessible to a broader audience.
And with NS-25 mission from Blue Origin, they aim to reclaim its
position in a space tourism market Has demonstrated its
commitment to safety and innovation.
This flight is not just a test of technological reliability,
but also an opportunity to inspire the public and expand
interest in space exploration. Hey, thank you so much for
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