{"id":18569,"date":"2018-04-16T18:20:49","date_gmt":"2018-04-16T10:20:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/snc-and-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-show-off-hardware-at-colorados-space-symposium\/"},"modified":"2018-04-16T18:20:49","modified_gmt":"2018-04-16T10:20:49","slug":"snc-and-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-show-off-hardware-at-colorados-space-symposium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/snc-and-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-show-off-hardware-at-colorados-space-symposium\/","title":{"rendered":"SNC and Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin show off hardware at Colorado\u2019s Space Symposium"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_412351\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-412351\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-412351\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-snc-630x421.jpg\" alt=\"Buzz Aldrin and Mark Sirangelo\" width=\"630\" height=\"421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-snc-630x421.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-snc-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-snc-1260x842.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-snc.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-412351\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin and Sierra Nevada Corp.\u2019s Mark Sirangelo get an early look at SNC\u2019s Dream Chaser atmospheric test plane. (SNC Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.&nbsp;\u2014 &nbsp;A year after Blue Origin put its New Shepard rocket booster on public display for the first time,&nbsp;Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos\u2019 space venture has brought its BE-4 rocket engine here for one of the nation\u2019s premier space conferences.<\/p>\n<p>But this time, Colorado-based Sierra Nevada Corp. is taking up at least as much of the spotlight at the 34th Space Symposium with the prototype for its Dream Chaser mini-space shuttle.<\/p>\n<p>The 30-foot-long Dream Chaser engineering test vehicle executed what\u2019s likely to be its final flight last November, and was trucked from NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California to Colorado Springs for this week\u2019s event.<\/p>\n<p>A space-worthy Dream Chaser is currently under construction. It\u2019s due to fly uncrewed missions to the International Space Station starting in late 2020, under the terms of a cargo resupply contract with NASA.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=984925122745262080&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2018%2Fsnc-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-show-off-hardware-colorados-space-symposium%2F&amp;sessionId=873ffc4c296c10c8aee15d2af98d1d13edd02bad&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"984925122745262080\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782801251281569787=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We&#8217;re finishing up assembly of the #SNCDreamChaser spacecraft at @TheBroadmoor in preparation for the #34SS.  Can&#8217;t wait to show it off! pic.twitter.com\/ZKNtvvxYMC<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sierra Nevada Corporation (@SierraNevCorp) April 13, 2018<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSNC is thrilled to have a venue for people to see firsthand what a remarkable piece of engineering it is,\u201d Eren Ozmen, president and co-owner of Sierra Nevada Corp., said in a news release.&nbsp; \u201cSNC is proud to bring a runway-landing vehicle back to the space landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Dream Chaser is designed for vertical launches on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket or similar vehicles, and for horizontal landings reminiscent of the space shuttle fleet\u2019s touchdowns. The prototype on display in Colorado served a function similar to that of the shuttle Enterprise, which tested the craft\u2019s aerodynamics but wasn\u2019t designed to go into space.<\/p>\n<p>After its stint at the Space Symposium, the plane will be given a place of honor in SNC\u2019s 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Louisville, Colo.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Origin, meanwhile, has put a BE-4 rocket engine in its own place of honor outside the symposium\u2019s exhibit hall. The engine is destined to power Blue Origin\u2019s orbital-class New Glenn rocket, and it\u2019s the top candidate for United Launch Alliance\u2019s next-generation rocket as well.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_412390\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-412390\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-412390\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-blue1-630x473.jpg\" alt=\"BE-4 engine\" width=\"630\" height=\"473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-blue1-630x473.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-blue1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-blue1-1260x945.jpg 1260w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-412390\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blue Origin\u2019s BE-4 rocket engine is on display in Colorado Springs. (GeekWire Photo \/ Alan Boyle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_412391\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-412391\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-412391\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-blue2-630x840.jpg\" alt=\"BE-4 engine\" width=\"630\" height=\"840\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-blue2-630x840.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-blue2-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-blue2-945x1260.jpg 945w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-412391\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The BE-4 engine is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) with liquid oxygen (LOX) serving as the oxidizer, as indicated by the labels on the front end of the engine. (GeekWire Photo \/ Alan Boyle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_412392\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-412392\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-412392\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-blue3-630x473.jpg\" alt=\"BE-4 engine\" width=\"630\" height=\"473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-blue3-630x473.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-blue3-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/180416-blue3-1260x945.jpg 1260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-412392\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The engine\u2019s plumbing is intricate. (GeekWire Photo \/ Alan Boyle)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For now, BE-4 engines are being built at Blue Origin\u2019s headquarters in Kent, Wash., and sent down to the company\u2019s West Texas facility for testing. If United Launch Alliance gives its thumbs-up for a bulk buy, BE-4 manufacturing will shift to a $200 million, 200,000-square-foot facility&nbsp;that is to be built in Huntsville, Ala.<\/p>\n<p>The BE-4 is designed to deliver 550,000 pounds of thrust, with liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen serving as the propellants. Seven of the engines would be used on the first stage of the New Glenn rocket, which would be built in and launched from Florida. The first launches for the New Glenn as well as ULA\u2019s Vulcan rocket are currently set for 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Origin is testing a separate suborbital space vehicle known as New Shepard, which makes use of a hydrogen-fueled BE-3 engine. During last year\u2019s Space Symposium, Blue Origin showed off a New Shepard booster that was launched on five successful round-trip flights to the edge of space, plus a mockup for its suborbital space capsule. Crewed flight tests are due to begin within the next year, followed by flights for paying passengers.<\/p>\n<p>At last report, the now-retired New Shepard booster is on display at Blue Origin\u2019s New Glenn rocket factory in Florida.<\/p>\n<p><em>SNC is running an \u201cI Saw the Dream Chaser\u201d selfie contest for photographers who document their sightings at the Space Symposium. Check SNC\u2019s website for contest rules and the list of prizes.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Both SNC and Blue Origin will be providing updates on their space programs later this week. Stay tuned for dispatches from GeekWire\u2019s Alan Boyle in Colorado.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin and Sierra Nevada Corp.\u2019s Mark Sirangelo get an early look at SNC\u2019s Dream Chaser atmospheric test plane. (SNC Photo) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.&nbsp;\u2014 &nbsp;A year after Blue Origin put its New Shepard rocket booster on public display for the first time,&nbsp;Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos\u2019 space venture has brought its BE-4 rocket [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4459,509,970,4703,622],"class_list":["post-18569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-be-4-rocket-engine","tag-blue-origin","tag-dream-chaser","tag-sierra-nevada-corp","tag-space-symposium"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18569"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18569\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}