I actually like the fact there's a review of large, single supplier government contracts.
They should do this even without grievances from losing bidders.
Jeff Bezos loses attempt to block the Moon-landing contract NASA gave to SpaceX
61–70 of 259 posts
Re: Jeff Bezos loses attempt to block the Moon-landing contract NASA gave to SpaceX
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
Going to the moon again is pushing the world forward? Why? Humans got there and there's been no reason to go back
This is an incredibly small minded perspective. Difficult challenges require new technologies, new processes and new ways of thinking. More specifically, technologies developed through the race to land on the moon (and space flight generally) are integral to almost every aspect of 'your' life and define what most of us consider human flourishing. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_spinoff_technologies#:~:t..…
These companies are just trying to shoot rockets further then each other. They're not science pr research companies. We're not learning more about space and the universe thanks to the them.
What spin off tech have we gotten from them?
Re: Jeff Bezos loses attempt to block the Moon-landing contract NASA gave to SpaceX
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
Blue Origin was founded in 2000, SpaceX 2002. SpaceX achieved orbit in 2008. Blue Origin is still sub orbital yet planning on a moon mission. At this point Bezos might be better off starting over with a new team.
They have some achievements to show. New Shepard was the first to land vertically. That's not nothing. BE-4 has been delayed, true, but if it were looking like a failure, ULA would have dropped them a long time ago. I think 2022 will clear up lots of things for everyone. SLS, BE-4, New Glenn, etc... Till then there is no sense of dooming anything.
Blue Origin arguably did the first verticals landing from “space” as defined by 100km of altitude in 2015. Though the lunar lander is perhaps the more famous vertical landing from space in 1969, following earlier soft landings like Luna 9 1966, and a lot of earlier VTVL rocket research at the time.
SpaceX started on powered decent in 2011 achieving it’s first landing from an actual orbital space flight in 2015. I don’t mean to dump on Blue Origin but their achievements are really just around the definition of space as 100km which is completely arbitrary, their effectively just publicity stunts.
It’s possible that Blue Origin will create a useful system for space exploration, but based on past progress their years if not decades from that point.
Re: Jeff Bezos loses attempt to block the Moon-landing contract NASA gave to SpaceX
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
Space is expensive. Bezos is pumping 1 billion per year into the company and the blue origin proposal was for 13 billion. Even for Bezos that's not chump change.
It’s like an average person spending $1,000 per year for a hobby.
And at 200bb producing 'income' it's hard to grasp how huge that is. Even at what in this market is a super conservative 5%...
Re: Jeff Bezos loses attempt to block the Moon-landing contract NASA gave to SpaceX
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
Everything SpaceX is successfully launching today was similarly delayed during development. It's too early to write off Blue Origin, especially since Bezos just got involved in it full time.
Blue Origin was founded in 2000, SpaceX 2002. SpaceX achieved orbit in 2008. Blue Origin is still sub orbital yet planning on a moon mission. At this point Bezos might be better off starting over with a new team.
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Re: Jeff Bezos loses attempt to block the Moon-landing contract NASA gave to SpaceX
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
It probably has something to do with not getting notified when someone replies to your post.
I think it's more to do with lack of social engagement. It's not difficult to figure out how to refresh your accounts comment page.
Maybe selfishly some clout at play too? I don't think sub comments add to profile upvote scores.
Re: Jeff Bezos loses attempt to block the Moon-landing contract NASA gave to SpaceX
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
They have certainly pushed the world. Whether the direction we're going is 'forward' is extremely debatable. It certainly might look that way from certain positions, but not all points of view agree, and there's no clear way to determine which should be privileged.
It's one thing to disagree, another to call them sociopaths. If what they're doing is debatable - let's debate then. With respect for each other and with civility.
So it's civil to engage in anti-competitive behavior which arguably sets back the progress of humanity ("pushing the world forward"), but not civil to use the word 'sociopath' in reference to such actions? I was always taught that actions speak louder than words.
Re: Jeff Bezos loses attempt to block the Moon-landing contract NASA gave to SpaceX
#68It's really a shame what has happened to Blue Origin. They've gone from a promising space startup to yet another purveyor of perpetual vaporware. Where is the BE-4 engine? Delayed, again and again. New Glenn, the rocket that could actually go into orbit? Same. So far their only functioning hardware (New Shephard) is, in effect, a glorified amusement park ride. Considering that SpaceX has actually made it to orbit mul…
Forget orbit, SpaceX has paid for it's ISS contract about 3x in savings over Soyuz. Congress would be dumb to pick a new horse now.
Re: Jeff Bezos loses attempt to block the Moon-landing contract NASA gave to SpaceX
#69It's really a shame what has happened to Blue Origin. They've gone from a promising space startup to yet another purveyor of perpetual vaporware. Where is the BE-4 engine? Delayed, again and again. New Glenn, the rocket that could actually go into orbit? Same. So far their only functioning hardware (New Shephard) is, in effect, a glorified amusement park ride. Considering that SpaceX has actually made it to orbit mul…
Everything SpaceX is successfully launching today was similarly delayed during development. It's too early to write off Blue Origin, especially since Bezos just got involved in it full time.
The point of procurement is to procure something.
Re: Jeff Bezos loses attempt to block the Moon-landing contract NASA gave to SpaceX
#70It's really a shame what has happened to Blue Origin. They've gone from a promising space startup to yet another purveyor of perpetual vaporware. Where is the BE-4 engine? Delayed, again and again. New Glenn, the rocket that could actually go into orbit? Same. So far their only functioning hardware (New Shephard) is, in effect, a glorified amusement park ride. Considering that SpaceX has actually made it to orbit mul…
Blue Origin isn't vaporware. They have engines, they have rocket bodies, they have tooling, etc.
But they are, apparently, firmly in development hell, with no public indication of trying to change that.