Under New Glenn's Lift-Off, Bezos Aims to Loosen Musk's Grip on Space Exploration
2021 saw Elon Musk mocking Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin's slow progress in rocket launches, joking about Bezos' inability to reach orbit on Twitter. Despite this, Blue Origin is now poised to respond with their powerful New Glenn rocket, stationed at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, ready for its inaugural launch as early as Monday morning.
Support for Blue Origin's launch is widespread, with industry insiders and the government hoping for a change in the market dominated by SpaceX. Moreover, Blue Origin has been offering its launch services at a lower price per satellite than SpaceX, according to an ex-employee.
The upcoming launch comes just before Donald Trump's return to the White House, raising concerns about government funding and regulations that might alter the commercial space industry landscape, potentially affecting Blue Origin's contracts.
Bezos has positioned Blue Origin as the patient, consistent alternative to SpaceX's "move fast and fail often" approach, reflecting Blue Origin's motto, "gradatim ferociter," which translates to "step by step, with great ferocity." Over the past decade, SpaceX has skyrocketed its launch frequency, leaving competitors like Blue Origin and ULA behind.
However, New Glenn, announced in 2016, promises to be a formidable competitor, offering a significant cargo volume and double the payload mass compared to Falcon 9, all at competitive pricing.
Blue Origin's New Glenn has already attracted companies building large satellite constellations, including AST Mobile and Amazon's Kuiper Satellite Network, with which Blue Origin has signed contracts worth billions through 2028.
Political tensions surround the launch, with the rumored nomination of billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA raising concerns about preferential treatment for SpaceX. Nevertheless, Bezos remains optimistic about Musk's influence in the Trump administration.
Bezos aspires to create an off-world economy with manufacturing and mining happening in space, aimed at significantly reducing the expense of reaching space. With New Glenn, Blue Origin is taking a significant step towards this vision.
Elon Musk, referencing Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin's slow progress in rocket launches, made a jest about Bezos' inability to reach orbit on Twitter in 2021. Despite Musk's taunts, Blue Origin is now set to respond with their powerful New Glenn rocket, set for its inaugural launch as early as Monday morning at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.
The upcoming launch of New Glenn has garnered support from various sectors, including industry insiders and the government, who hope for a shift in the market that has been dominated by SpaceX. Blue Origin is also offering its launch services at a lower price per satellite than SpaceX, as reported by an ex-employee.
Donald Trump's return to the White House precedes the Blue Origin launch, raising concerns about potential changes in government funding and regulations that could impact the commercial space industry landscape and potentially affect Blue Origin's contracts.
Jeff Bezos has positioned Blue Origin as a patient and consistent alternative to SpaceX's "move fast and fail often" approach, reflecting Blue Origin's motto, "gradatim ferociter," which translates to "step by step, with great ferocity." Blue Origin's New Glenn, announced in 2016, promises to be a formidable competitor to SpaceX's Falcon 9, offering a larger cargo volume and double the payload mass at competitive pricing.
Amazon's Kuiper Satellite Network, along with AST Mobile, are among the companies building large satellite constellations that have attracted to Blue Origin's New Glenn, signifying significant contracts worth billions through 2028.
