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GW Johnson

Member

From: McGregor, Texas USA

Registered: 2011-12-04

Posts: 5,459

Website

Re: Blue Origin Press Release

It's a whole lot easier to incorporate an escape means into a ballistic capsule design than it is some sort of aircraft-like airframe.  You'll note they cannot do it with airliners,  and never ever tried.  Couldn't do it with the Space Shuttle,  either.  That sort of design cannot afford the weight and volume penalties of escape for all aboard.  Neither will Musk's Starship be able to afford it.  Their inert mass is already too high,  and they have yet to put rough field capable landing legs on it.  They have yet to add in crew spaces and cargo decks. 

GW

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GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 17,196

Re: Blue Origin Press Release

For the recent poster who inquired about an escape capsule for the Starship (Post #50 RGClark)...

The Starship ** is ** the escape capsule for the Super Heavy.

No other escape capsule is needed.

If Super Heavy lifts the Starship to a sufficient elevation, and the Starship fails to ignite or explodes, that will be the end of that particular flight.

On the ** other ** hand, if Super Heavy has difficulty Starship can ignite and lift away from the booster, in order to plan an emergency landing.

The pilot will be busy at that point, because so many variables will be in play.

(th)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,884

Re: Blue Origin Press Release

The escape function is due to speed of separation in which the starship must be able to stage separate at any point along the launch trajectory and pull away from the BFR stage. Which if you cannot do makes escape as bad as a shuttle flight if the srb has a problem. Stage separation must shutdown the boosters' engines before it can happen.

Notice the crewed dragon has the abort built into the capsule of which it can pull away from the remaining rocket at any time in the launch.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 28,884

Re: Blue Origin Press Release

Progress finally on Blue Origin completes delivery of BE-4 rocket engines for first ULA Vulcan launch

The BE-4 engine is destined for use not only on the first-stage booster of ULA’s semi-reusable Vulcan Centaur rocket, but also on Blue Origin’s orbital-class New Glenn rocket, which is currently due to make its debut in 2023.

Each BE-4 engine provides 550,000 pounds of thrust, with liquefied natural gas serving as the fuel. The engines are manufactured at Blue Origin’s headquarters in Kent, Wash., and at a production facility in Huntsville, Ala. Testing has been conducted at Blue Origin’s West Texas facility and at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.

kbd512

Administrator

Registered: 2015-01-02

Posts: 7,431

Re: Blue Origin Press Release

The funny thing about crew escape systems is that if one rocket doesn't work, then they're relying upon another rocket to boost their escape capsule away from the stricken vehicle.

Wouldn't it be better to ensure that the primary propulsion system was exceptionally reliable?

SpaceX mitigates individual engine failures by having excess thrust available from other engines.  So long as malfunctioning engines can be shut down prior to catastrophic damage, that's a good system.  Large ships use that same propulsion system- multiple engines and propeller shafts, so that if one fails the others can still limp the vehicle to the nearest port, or in this case Starship can limp into orbit.  After it's in orbit, assuming the goal is to build dozens of them, then only a pressure hull penetration would endanger the crew.  The heat shield and engines can be toast, but multiple vehicles, sitting on a pad somewhere and ready to go, mitigates that otherwise fatal failure mode.

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,267

Re: Blue Origin Press Release

NASA's ESCAPADE mission headed to Mars in 2024 on Blue Origin's New Glenn

https://www.marsdaily.com/reports/NASAs … n_999.html

Void

Member

Registered: 2011-12-29

Posts: 7,116

Re: Blue Origin Press Release

A bit of good stuff from Blue Origin, it would seem.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ut … &FORM=VIRE

I don't think that Elon Musk would be shocked.  He would probably be conditionally happy about it.

I myself think we want to try to get as many entities producing useful results as possible.

I recall that Japan has had an interest in beaming power from the Moon to Earth.  Who knows?  Maybe.

Done.

Last edited by Void (2023-02-17 19:45:50)

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Done.

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,267

Re: Blue Origin Press Release

Blue Origin Blames Faulty Engine Part for Fiery New Shepard Booster Crash

https://gizmodo.com/blue-origin-faulty- … 1850263236

GW Johnson

Member

From: McGregor, Texas USA

Registered: 2011-12-04

Posts: 5,459

Website

Re: Blue Origin Press Release

When I see the term "hot streaks",  I'm pretty sure the thermal-structural analysis of the BE-3 engine was inadequate.  Localized hot spots are what you are trying to avoid in your design. 

Apparently,  they did not do that job adequately enough,  and it caught up with them.  As it inevitably will. 

My guess is that they will do a better job doing thermal-structural analysis,  despite the increased expense of doing so,  and thus eliminate this particular failure cause. 

Rest assured that there are others,  however.  There always are.

GW

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GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"