Blue Origin first human flight • Hacker News Board

Re: Blue Origin first human flight

#41

Post by rvz » Tue, Jul 20, 2021, 1:41 PM UTC

marshallbananas wrote: post #8

This felt so underwhelming. I don't know if it's because I've seen SpaceX doing much more complicated missions or it's just not that big of a deal. They got about two minutes of zero G and came down immediately. You can experience that for much longer with a regular plane, for much less money. It really shouldn't count as space travel unless they go into orbit around Earth.

> It really shouldn't count as space travel unless they go into orbit around Earth.

Translation: 'Other private companies building their own rockets and going into space is 'not good enough' unless it is by SpaceX' and doesn't count.

To SpaceX fanatics and downvoters: I'm sure you are deep fanatics of SpaceX but surely you have the funds and deep pockets to join Musk and friends on a space mission together right now? If not, just continue to watch livestreams of others going into space then.

It should not be just down to ONE company. Commercial space flight is going to get allot cheaper with the existence of more competitors and that should be welcomed. Even SpaceX welcomes this and so should you.

Re: Blue Origin first human flight

#42

Post by throwaway0a5e » Tue, Jul 20, 2021, 1:41 PM UTC

_fat_santa wrote: post #22

Seems that between Musk, Bezos and Branson, we have in essence restarted a space race but this time it's billionaires in the private sector versus governments. Some will surely say that they have better things to spend their money on (Bezos for sure) but I gave to say it's still mindblowing. I would imagine if you're one of those guys, you've basically have enough money to solve any problem, so these guys it seems ar…

This is what "trickle down" technology looks like. We are watching space flight move a rung down the economic ladder.

Nation states -> wealthy bigco -> billionare's pet project -> ????? -> normal people

(some steps omitted for brevity)

Re: Blue Origin first human flight

#43

Post by pantulis » Tue, Jul 20, 2021, 1:41 PM UTC

marshallbananas wrote: post #8

This felt so underwhelming. I don't know if it's because I've seen SpaceX doing much more complicated missions or it's just not that big of a deal. They got about two minutes of zero G and came down immediately. You can experience that for much longer with a regular plane, for much less money. It really shouldn't count as space travel unless they go into orbit around Earth.

Yet this is what, with all their power, billionaries can achieve today. While private innovation is welcome, space exploration needs even deeper pockets so it is government territory.

Re: Blue Origin first human flight

#44

Post by Clewza313 » Tue, Jul 20, 2021, 1:41 PM UTC

Darmody wrote: post #33

marshallbananas wrote: post #8

This felt so underwhelming. I don't know if it's because I've seen SpaceX doing much more complicated missions or it's just not that big of a deal. They got about two minutes of zero G and came down immediately. You can experience that for much longer with a regular plane, for much less money. It really shouldn't count as space travel unless they go into orbit around Earth.

To me it was pretty exciting after watching what Virgin Galactic did the other day.

Virgin Galactic is at least taking a novel approach with the spaceplane though. Sticking a capsule on top of a rocket and bringing it down with parachutes has been done since the 1960s, and SpaceX beat them to landing the launcher as well.

Re: Blue Origin first human flight

#45

Post by JshWright » Tue, Jul 20, 2021, 1:41 PM UTC

runawaybottle wrote: post #21

I’m more impressed that Bezos took the ideas that worked from Spacex and successfully copied it.

Blue Origin actually predates SpaceX. They have been working in parallel on related ideas, so I don't think it's fair to say they "copied" SpaceX.

SpaceX is definitely a lot further down the road, and what Blue Origin is doing currently is much easier. The energies involved in suborbital flights are much lower, and the fact that the rocket has a thrust-to-weight ratio low enough that it can hover makes the landing process a lot simpler.

Re: Blue Origin first human flight

#46

Post by iso1631 » Tue, Jul 20, 2021, 1:41 PM UTC

_fat_santa wrote: post #22

Seems that between Musk, Bezos and Branson, we have in essence restarted a space race but this time it's billionaires in the private sector versus governments. Some will surely say that they have better things to spend their money on (Bezos for sure) but I gave to say it's still mindblowing. I would imagine if you're one of those guys, you've basically have enough money to solve any problem, so these guys it seems ar…

Mentioning Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin in the same breath as SpaceX seems disingenuous. It's like comparing an horse+cart with a modern car.

Maybe Electron and Virgin Orbit are in the race, but these hop 100km (or 80!) up and about 5 miles downrange are nowhere near the same league.

Re: Blue Origin first human flight

#47

Post by sandworm101 » Tue, Jul 20, 2021, 1:42 PM UTC

sschueller wrote: post #32

What I found interesting is that the vehicle that drove them to the launchpad was a Rivian SUV. The direct competitor to the Tesla Model X.

Yup. There are layers upon layers of messaging here. This is a handful of very rich people throwing shade at each other. In the past they used paintings and architecture to send coded insults. Now they use thier toy rockets.

Re: Blue Origin first human flight

#48

Post by ethanbond » Tue, Jul 20, 2021, 1:43 PM UTC

_fat_santa wrote: post #22

Seems that between Musk, Bezos and Branson, we have in essence restarted a space race but this time it's billionaires in the private sector versus governments. Some will surely say that they have better things to spend their money on (Bezos for sure) but I gave to say it's still mindblowing. I would imagine if you're one of those guys, you've basically have enough money to solve any problem, so these guys it seems ar…

"Space exploration" is lending way, way too much credence to this.

These two flights were ~60mi altitude. The ISS, for reference, is at 250mi. We've launched people there more than a hundred times, never mind having to put it there in the first place. The moon, which we landed and recovered people from in 1969, is 240,000mi away.

This is a hobby project, which is totally fine in that it's their money to spend, and it's kind of neat that we can generate enough wealth that private individuals could even imagine doing this, but let's not dress it up as more than that.

Edit: Musk/SpaceX is definitely in a different category. That actually seems to be shooting for space exploration, which is pretty neat, though I still think there are earthly priorities that we'd see much higher ROI from.

Re: Blue Origin first human flight

#49

Post by jcun4128 » Tue, Jul 20, 2021, 1:44 PM UTC

dole wrote: post #38

jcun4128 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not directly relevant: what's annoying are the fake live streams. Then there are blatant crypto scams on top lol ugh.

Youtube's homepage reminds me of the television broadcasts in Idiocracy. Just another fulfilled prophecy.

You know what's annoying is they barely show you content that you subscribe to. I find the "recently uploaded" filter is more helpful in terms of finding something interesting to watch.

Re: Blue Origin first human flight

#50

Post by selykg » Tue, Jul 20, 2021, 1:44 PM UTC

basisword wrote: post #24

admissionsguy wrote: post #12

Mixed feelings. I suppose it's important to have competition/alternatives to SpaceX, but does it have to be done in such a sluggish manner by one the most unlikable people in the world?

I hate to break it to you but Musk is just as unlikeable. Why does it matter who does it though? It’s a great achievement and could lead to great things. I’d much rather people like Bezos were spending money on this than mansions, supercars, and other crap that doesn’t benefit anyone.

> I hate to break it to you but Musk is just as unlikeable.

Right? I don't get the guy's appeal. Yes, SpaceX and Tesla are doing neat things and I love that. But Musk is literally the last person I want to hear from, or about. Despite all the cool stuff Tesla is doing, he really makes me not want to buy anything from Tesla ever just because he's associated with it. Perhaps a bit dramatic, but I really can't stand the guy.