Amazon, The Washington Post, and Space Rockets. What doesn’t Jeff Bezos have his hand in? And what do Elon Musk, SpaceX, and Russian President Putin have in common? They all may secretly want Bezos’ private space ambitions to crash and burn. Only Bezos is already crashing his own spacecraft in the name of safety. According to reports, Bezos and his private space company Blue Origin are taking New Shepard to extremes. The New Shepard spacecraft is equipped with an inexpensive and reusable launch system. This recyclable launch system could put the Atlas V and Soyuz on the space unemployment line. Leaving a nervous Putin to respond.
One Less Parachute
New Shepard is Bezos’ spacecraft pride and joy. However, he aims to crash it on purpose. In an effort to take the test flight aspect out of every launch, Blue Origin aims to land with one less parachute. What Bezos has promised to be quite a show, the New Shepard will land with two parachutes instead of the recommended three. This will allow the Blue Origin team to practice and evaluate these types of scenarios. But many may be asking, how can Bezos continue to afford these crash tests?
Blue Origin Better Than Atlas V and Soyuz
The New Shepard can make multiple launches in an effort to test safety due to its reusable rocket. The New Shepard is equipped with a single BE-3 engine that can be restarted roughly 3,600 feet above the ground. It is also a suborbital launch system that is reusable and inexpensive. Reports suggest that it can be reused for tens of thousands of dollars. This new reusable technology could allow Blue Origin to make around 100 flights per year. More flights equal more experience and more tweaks to safety. This could place NASA’s Atlas V in jeopardy. And the Putin Soyuz may lose its ISS delivery service to a more inexpensive, reusable, and safer New Shepard.
Will Putin Respond?
Putin may be slightly nervous about the rise of Blue Origin and their reusable space tech. The Soyuz has traditionally had the spacecraft market cornered. It has long been delivering astronauts and supplies to the ISS. There is also a Soyuz attached to the ISS at all times. It acts as an escape pod if anything were to go array on the ISS. The Soyuz could be at risk of losing its job if the New Shepard becomes a safer and less expensive option. What will Putin do without that space delivery money? The Atlas V has had a very good track record. The Atlas V is considered very safe. However, the Atlas V may become a less safe option for NASA as Bezos continues to crash his spacecrafts in the name of safer space expedition.
