Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, has used part of the fortune he made on the Internet to found a space transportation startup. Called Blue Origin, the company is working to develop a VTOL (vertical take off and landing) suborbital craft that will carry tourists to the edge of space.
Blue Origin has been perhaps the most secretive of the New Space companies, but Bezos recently allowed that progress is being made. He also said his goal is to develop a safe, reliable vehicle, and that everyone should understand developing such a vehicle could take several years.
If Blue Origin is successful, however, it will be a major step forward. A reusable VTOL craft would have a huge economic advantage over expendable launchers and spacecraft that splash down. The next step would be to go from a VTOL suborbital to a VTOL orbital. That craft could open the Solar System in a fundamental way.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment