Updates Blue Origin New Shepard News and Updates

[Thunder Chicken]

I think the difference is just, that SpaceX does big steps and big RUDs, which make it hard to pinpoint the causes, while Blue Origin tries smaller steps and less RUDs for the sake of isolating problems better.

Yes, but SpaceX has put a lot of effort into sensors and telemetry so they do have a LOT of diagnostic data even in a catastrophic RUD. They were able to pinpoint the locale of the in-flight strut failure on CRS-7 with that data. They sorted out AMOS-6 with that data. AMOS-6 in particular was an unusual failure caused by thermal buckling of the tank liner that was partially due to tank filling procedure. No amount of incremental testing would have likely caught that failure as it was due to the time-dependent interaction of several systems.


If SpaceX was having RUDs for basic underengineering, that would be one thing, but their RUDs have (to date) caught some legitimately difficult gremlins. I fear it will be a long time before Blue Origin gets to that level of intimate experience with their hardware.

 

[Frilock]

Lander will blue balls...how fitting....

 

[GLS]

Yes, but SpaceX has put a lot of effort into sensors and telemetry so they do have a LOT of diagnostic data even in a catastrophic RUD.

I fear it will be a long time before Blue Origin gets to that level of intimate experience with their hardware.

Because? Are they not flying, or do they not use sensors and telemetry?

They sorted out AMOS-6 with that data. AMOS-6 in particular was an unusual failure caused by thermal buckling of the tank liner that was partially due to tank filling procedure. No amount of incremental testing would have likely caught that failure as it was due to the time-dependent interaction of several systems.

Wouldn't tanking tests on the pad or, better yet, in a test stand without a satellite on top of the vehicle, have caught that problem? (legitimate question)
Testing a system for the full range of conditions it will be used, before it is actually used, takes time and money and so it's much faster and cheaper to "learn on the pad". (<- yes, that always has to be done for the lifetime of the vehicle)
The problem is that learning on the pad only works with "simple" designs. More complex designs will have many more early failures, which is not major a problem when the payload is a satellite, but with people onboard, a vehicle that does the "disappearing magic trick" is no good.

 

[Urwumpe]

Yes, but SpaceX has put a lot of effort into sensors and telemetry so they do have a LOT of diagnostic data even in a catastrophic RUD.

Yes, and we old Germanic tribals here know too well the meaning of the German phrase "To no longer see the forest because of the trees".


The more you measure, the more you will be searching for the needle in the haystack. Especially if you then have multiple anomalies taking place during flight at the same time and you have to tell them apart: Is anomaly A caused by B? Is A independent of B? Did anomaly A maybe hide other anomalies behind it, if you did not yet properly test the other subsystems behind the anomaly?

 

[Notebook]

Blue Origin, LLC, the private American aerospace company of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, has started building a factory in Huntsville, Alabama for its 3D printing-inclusive rocket engines.
Set to open in 2020, the new facility will cost $200 million to build and is expected to create hundreds of jobs for the local industry.

https://3dprintingindustry.com/news...-of-200-million-rocket-engine-factory-147951/

 

[GLS]

Here we go again! (finally):nodding:
[ame="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1203795335660879872"]https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1203795335660879872[/ame]

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[ame="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1204083672456011776"]https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1204083672456011776[/ame]

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Delayed...
[ame="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1204388101935661056"]https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1204388101935661056[/ame]

 

[Urwumpe]

Clearly related to Blue Origin... isn't it?

 

[GLS]

Try again tomorrow

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[ame="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1204782034964623361"]https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1204782034964623361[/ame]

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[ame="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1204801390679343104"]https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1204801390679343104[/ame]

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Finally!
[ame="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1204808069160558593"]https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1204808069160558593[/ame]

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Webcast should be going live any second... background music has started and it's less than 30 minutes until launch.

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Webcast now live, hosted by blonde and brunette twins.:lol:

6th launch (land landing) for this particular rocket.

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"a couple more flights" before human flights

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Holding at T-15 minutes....

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Counting again!

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Holding at T-9m59s...

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... and now counting

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T-5 minutes

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T-2 minutes

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Hold at T-20s

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T0, liftoff!!!

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MECO @ ~180kft

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CC separation!

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Apogee @ 342647ft

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Booster landing!
DAT CONTROL :rikerclap:

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CC parachute deploy!!!

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CC touchdown!

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Updated apogee: 343061ft = 104565m

 

[Urwumpe]

I still have my issues with calling an uncrewed capsule the crew capsule...

 

[GLS]

I still have my issues with calling an uncrewed capsule the crew capsule...

Do micro-organisms count as crew? :lol:

 

[Urwumpe]

Do micro-organisms count as crew? :lol:

As long as they are not taking part in steering or maintaining the vessel...no. :lol:

 

[MaverickSawyer]

As long as they are not taking part in steering or maintaining the vessel...no. :lol:

Then you'll have trouble calling it a "crew capsule" at any time, then. There's literally nothing the folks onboard do to run the mission. They're payload, not crew.

 

[Urwumpe]

Then you'll have trouble calling it a "crew capsule" at any time, then. There's literally nothing the folks onboard do to run the mission. They're payload, not crew.

Thats not quite true on western spacecraft, where the astronauts are really in the loop and have usually full control over the GNC and limited control over the system management functions of a spacecraft.


I would agree on that terminology for some Soviet spacecraft though...

 

[jedidia]

You have to hand it to them, their operation so far went damn smooth.

Almost too smooth... Rockets that don't work their explosions out during testing make me nervous...

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Thats not quite true on western spacecraft, where the astronauts are really in the loop and have usually full control over the GNC and limited control over the system management functions of a spacuecraft.


I would agree on that terminology for some Soviet spacecraft though...

For New Shepard, there is no crew. It is 100% automated.

 

[Urwumpe]

For New Shepard, there is no crew. It is 100% automated.

Right now - not sure if it stays like that for tourist flights. If it does. Yes, its never crewed, passengers are just cargo, but never the crew of a vehicle.



"A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization."

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Right now - not sure if it stays like that for tourist flights. If it does. Yes, its never crewed, passengers are just cargo, but never the crew of a vehicle.



"A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization."

It will remain automated for revenue flights. I've spoken with folks who worked on it or still do, and have gotten to sit in the capsule mockup. There are zero controls other than a door handle and your restraint buckles.

 

[Notebook]

I assume at least one person will be a Blue Origin employee?

Otherwise it sounds like a glorified roller-coaster.

 

[GLS]

Pretty video...
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1dQtkd-GRU"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1dQtkd-GRU[/ame]

... and pretty pictures
[ame="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1204922043692650498"]https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1204922043692650498[/ame]

 

[MaverickSawyer]

I assume at least one person will be a Blue Origin employee?

Otherwise it sounds like a glorified roller-coaster.

Not sure if they've decided on that yet.