12/6/2023 0 Comments Jeff bezos rocket tiktok![]() Branson's Virgin Galactic flight saw him reach an altitude of around 53 miles, so he gets his wings.īut that isn't necessarily where "space" begins, according to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Some scientists have argued this is fairly reasonable based on the distance at which satellites are able to orbit the Earth, and NASA uses a similar number when defining where space begins for crewed missions. The US Federal Aviation Administration gives astronaut wings to anyone who flies above 50 miles (around 80 kilometers). That's why you've likely heard Branson's flight described as reaching "space" or the "edge of space" almost interchangeably - where Earth's atmosphere "ends" and space begins is not perfectly defined. There's been a bit of billionaire bickering over where, exactly, space begins. It's one that Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin have had to wrestle with this week: Where does space start? Space or the edge of space? © 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc.But perhaps before we even get there, we need to answer a more pressing question. NASA in early 2022 announced the program for a second lander contract. POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesĪfter losing in 2021, Blue Origin unsuccessfully fought to overturn NASA’s decision to ignore its Blue Moon lander, first with a watchdog agency and then in court.īlue Origin and lawmakers had pressured NASA to award a second lunar lander contract to promote commercial competition and ensure the agency has a backup ride to the moon. NASA’s decision will give the agency a second ride to the moon under its Artemis program, after it awarded Elon Musk’s SpaceX a $3 billion contract in 2021. This new contract is a boost for Bezos, who since founding Blue Origin in 2000 has invested billions into the company to compete for high-profile commercial and government space contracts with SpaceX, a dominant force in satellite launches and human spaceflight. NASA under that program said it could pick up to two companies, but blamed budget constraints for only going with SpaceX. Those companies lost out to SpaceX for the 2021 contract, part of an initial moon lander procurement program. The space company overcame a rival bid from Leidos-owned SAIC defense contractor Dynetics, the head of a partnership with Northrop Grumman. ![]() REUTERSįriday’s announcement in Washington was a long-awaited outcome for Blue Origin, which had unsuccessfully had competed for past contracts. He added that having a second moon lander for the agency’s Artemis mission promotes commercial competition, echoing a trend in recent years that reduces costs for NASA. “Our partnership will only add to this golden age of human spaceflight,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said. The Blue Moon landing, planned for 2029, is also expected to ferry two astronauts to the surface. SpaceX’s Starship lander is poised to conduct the first two astronaut moon landings under NASA’s Artemis program, sending a pair of astronauts to the lunar surface for each mission. Jeff Bezos unveils Blue Origin’s space exploration lunar lander rocket called Blue Moon in 2019. “Honored to be on this journey with to land astronauts on the Moon - this time to stay,” Amazon billionaire founder Bezos said in a tweet after the announcement.īlue Origin plans to build its 52-foot tall Blue Moon lander in a partnership with Lockheed Martin, Boeing, spacecraft software firm Draper, and robotics firm Astrobotic. The Blue Origin contract is valued at roughly $3.4 billion, NASA’s exploration chief Jim Free said, with Blue Origin privately contributing “well north” of that amount, Blue Origin’s lunar lander head John Couluris said. Those initial missions using SpaceX’s Starship system are slated for later this decade. ![]() ![]() NASA’s decision will give the agency a second ride to the moon under its Artemis program, after it awarded Elon Musk’s SpaceX $3 billion in 2021 to land astronauts on the moon for the first time since the final Apollo mission in 1972. Maui wildfires threaten Oprah’s Maui estate, other A-listers’ homesĪ team led by Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin won a coveted NASA contract to build a spacecraft to send astronauts to and from the moon’s surface, NASA’s chief announced on Friday, capping a high-stakes contest. Jeff Bezos buys $68M mansion on Florida’s ‘Billionaire Bunker’ island Jeff Bezos’ $500M real estate portfolio: See all his luxury houses How tech billionaires in Hawaii are responding to Maui wildfires ![]()
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