{"id":19478,"date":"2016-02-02T21:53:06","date_gmt":"2016-02-02T13:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-rocket-venture-provides-glimpses-of-its-road-ahead\/"},"modified":"2016-02-02T21:53:06","modified_gmt":"2016-02-02T13:53:06","slug":"jeff-bezos-blue-origin-rocket-venture-provides-glimpses-of-its-road-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-rocket-venture-provides-glimpses-of-its-road-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin rocket venture provides glimpses of its road ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_224734\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-224734\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-224734\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/160122-blue3-630x410.jpg\" alt=\"Blue Origin's New Shepard prototype spaceship blasts off from its Texas launch pad. (Credit: Blue Origin)\" width=\"630\" height=\"410\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/160122-blue3-630x410.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/160122-blue3-768x500.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/160122-blue3.jpg 1217w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-224734\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blue Origin\u2019s New Shepard prototype spaceship blasts off in January. (Credit: Blue Origin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Blue Origin, the space venture founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, is lifting&nbsp;the curtain just a bit on its future plans for rocket engines and spaceflights.<\/p>\n<p>One of the revelations relates to progress on its methane-fueled BE-4 rocket engine, which is on track to provide propulsion for United Launch Alliance\u2019s next-generation Vulcan rocket. Blue Origin tweeted out a picture of the engine\u2019s bell, taken at the company\u2019s production facility in Kent, Wash.:<\/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=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=694562259775819776&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2016%2Fjeff-bezos-blue-origin-rocket-venture-provides-glimpses-of-its-road-ahead%2F&amp;sessionId=9a7f1e3c2372376de9701a432ee451cf14e29320&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"694562259775819776\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782804983992413617=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">BE-4 forgings, assemble!  Full engine testing later this year to support @ulalaunch Vulcan 1st flight in 2019. pic.twitter.com\/BwRX3tmL2X<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Blue Origin (@blueorigin) February 2, 2016<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Other revelations came out at a conference in Washington, D.C., organized by the Federal Aviation Administration\u2019s Office of Commercial Space Transportation. One of the speakers was Brett Alexander, Blue Origin\u2019s director of business development and strategy.<\/p>\n<p>Alexander provided a recap of Blue Origin\u2019s recent successes, including the suborbital test flights of the company\u2019s reusable New Shepard rocket at a Texas test range in November and January. The uncrewed tests are aimed at opening the way for passenger flights.<\/p>\n<p>Reports from the meeting quoted Alexander as saying there would be a couple of dozen such test flights over the course of the next couple of&nbsp;years&nbsp;\u2013 which would work out to an average of one flight per month. Alexander also told the gathering that it\u2019s too early to announce the ticket price for passenger flights.<\/p>\n<p>Alexander emphasized that Blue Origin\u2019s long-term goal was to move on to&nbsp;orbital space missions. Over the past several years, NASA has awarded the company contracts totaling more than $25 million for development of technologies for orbital&nbsp;crew transport. Today, Alexander was quoted as saying NASA\u2019s funds&nbsp;accounted for&nbsp;only \u201csmall single digits\u201d of the percentage of Blue Origin\u2019s total investment.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" 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-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=694552289974042624&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2016%2Fjeff-bezos-blue-origin-rocket-venture-provides-glimpses-of-its-road-ahead%2F&amp;sessionId=9a7f1e3c2372376de9701a432ee451cf14e29320&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"694552289974042624\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782804983992413617=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Brett Alexander, Blue Origin. Govt investment in Blue is &#8220;small single digit percentage of total investment&#8221; but govt is market for products<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Marcia Smith (@SpcPlcyOnline) February 2, 2016<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Rocket reusability and human spaceflight could bring significant changes to the launch industry over the next 10 years, Alexander said. Those objectives also lead the list for SpaceX&nbsp;\u2013 which means the billionaire rivalry between Bezos and SpaceX\u2019s founder, Elon Musk, is likely to continue for years to come.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Update for 10:50 p.m. PT Feb. 2:<\/strong> There\u2019s additional information out there about Blue Origin\u2019s flight program. The schedule calls for suborbital research flights (without people) to begin this year. The first three payload customers are Purdue University, the University of Central Florida and Louisiana State University.<\/p>\n<p>So exactly when will passengers join payloads on Blue Origin\u2019s spaceship? That all depends on how the test program turns out. In the meantime, you can sign up to keep posted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Blue Origin\u2019s New Shepard prototype spaceship blasts off in January. (Credit: Blue Origin) Blue Origin, the space venture founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, is lifting&nbsp;the curtain just a bit on its future plans for rocket engines and spaceflights. One of the revelations relates to progress on its methane-fueled BE-4 rocket engine, which is on [&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":[509,291,1046],"class_list":["post-19478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-blue-origin","tag-commercial-space","tag-jeff-bezos"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19478"}],"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=19478"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19478\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}