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Alright, let's talk about Blue Origin. Bezos' vanity project is gearing up for another launch of its New Glenn rocket. Supposedly, this one's happening on Sunday, November 9th. Color me skeptical.
Deja Vu All Over Again?
So, the big news is this NG-2 mission, right? They're launching it from Florida, aiming for that sweet spot between 2:45 and 5:11 p.m. ET. Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral. A billion bucks spent rebuilding that site. A billion. For what? Another shot at glory?
They're even going to try landing the first stage booster on a drone ship named Jacklyn. Seriously?
Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp apparently said, "What if we don't stick the landing? That's OK." Okay? Okay? This is space travel, not a game of beer pong. "We've got several more New Glenn boosters already in production." Oh, good, so they're expecting failure. That's just confidence-inspiring, ain't it?
Last time, the "maiden flight" – I use that term loosely – back in January 2025, the upper stage made it to orbit. Cool. But the booster? Lost during descent. Lost! That's like saying you won the race, but your car exploded halfway through.
And this time, it's supposed to be carrying NASA's ESCAPADE mission to Mars. Two spacecraft to study solar winds. Sounds important, I guess. But it's also carrying some tech from Viasat. So, it's a commercial venture too. Gotta make that money, money, money. Even in space.
Wait a minute. Why are we trusting a crucial NASA mission to a company that couldn't even land a booster last time? Are there no other options?
The Bezos Factor
Let's be real: this whole thing is about Bezos wanting to play space cowboy. He named the damn rocket after John Glenn, for crying out loud. New Glenn is supposed to be reusable, lasting at least 25 flights. The booster they're using this time is even nicknamed "Never Tell Me the Odds." Seriously? It's like they're trying to jinx it. According to Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to launch New Glenn rocket for 2nd time. Everything to know, this launch is Blue Origin's second attempt.
And the size? 322 feet tall, almost as big as NASA's SLS. But let's not forget SpaceX's Starship towers over it at 400 feet. So, Blue Origin is still playing catch-up. Always playing catch-up.
I'm just saying, maybe instead of trying to compete with Musk, Bezos should focus on, I don't know, treating his Amazon employees like human beings or paying his fair share of taxes. Just a thought.
Offcourse, I'm sure Bezos will be launching himself into space on New Shephard soon enough, while the rest of us are stuck here dealing with the consequences of his billionaire antics.
What about Project Kuiper, Amazon's satellite internet plan? That's what New Glenn is really for, isn't it? Shuttling satellites into orbit. Gotta get that sweet, sweet internet money.
Then again, maybe I'm just being cynical. Maybe this launch will be a roaring success. Maybe Blue Origin will become a major player in the commercial spaceflight market. Maybe pigs will fly.