Jeff Bezo's Blue Origin began before Elon Musk's SpaceX, but has been as secretive and under-wraps as SpaceX has been in the public eye. (As somebody said, their control of the media and their own message would impress even the Chinese communist party.)
Today Blue held a big event (even it was secretive, admission by invitation only) with lots of imagery showing 20 mile long free-floating space colonies (of the generation starship class) that rotate to simulate gravity. (It's not a new idea, these are basically 1970's-vintage O'Neil Cylinders.) This is what Jeff Bezos wants to do rather than settle Mars. (Too far away for effective logistics.) He foresees the day when most people have left Earth and live in these. (I'd love to see it, but not in my lifetime.)
Ok, ok, it's out there. Jeff Bezos' version of Elon Musk's "aspirational". It's his long-term vision, like Elon's is a self-sustaining Mars colony.
So how to build them? It would be way too expensive to lift all the materials off Earth. But, Jeff says, we are lucky that we have the Moon nearby. It has low gravity that would be easy to launch from and he foresees it being mined extensively and becoming the site for much of the Earth's heavy industry. Zone the Earth residential and light-industrial he says.
To kick-start that, Blue is providing a few more details about its already announced Blue Moon project. This coincides with Trump and Pence's directions to NASA to return humans to the Moon, this time to say. Jeff thinks that's great and applauds it. Apparently Blue is hoping to get some NASA lunar funding and contracts (like SpaceX has done for satellite launches, space-station resupply and commercial crew.
Blue Moon consists of a lander that will be launched by Blue's really large multiple reusable New Glenn rocket, currently under development. It will be able to land all kinds of payloads on the Moon, including a crew cabin for astronauts, rovers or other cargo that would sit on top of it. 3 1/2 - 6 1/2 tons payload to the lunar surface.
Sounds like a 3 part plan (with my own take on each part's plausibility):
1. Return humans to the Moon. (Doable in the next five years.)
2. Eventually industrialize the Moon. (A generation or more off...)
3. Even more eventually, create giant free-floating space colonies that might someday support most of the human population. (A long ways off, centuries if ever.)
Here's Jeff and his lander.
If you like what Jeff wants to do, Spend More at Amazon! (I'm doing my part.)
Here's a short Blue Moon video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_conti...mk1oHzvNKA
Today Blue held a big event (even it was secretive, admission by invitation only) with lots of imagery showing 20 mile long free-floating space colonies (of the generation starship class) that rotate to simulate gravity. (It's not a new idea, these are basically 1970's-vintage O'Neil Cylinders.) This is what Jeff Bezos wants to do rather than settle Mars. (Too far away for effective logistics.) He foresees the day when most people have left Earth and live in these. (I'd love to see it, but not in my lifetime.)
Ok, ok, it's out there. Jeff Bezos' version of Elon Musk's "aspirational". It's his long-term vision, like Elon's is a self-sustaining Mars colony.
So how to build them? It would be way too expensive to lift all the materials off Earth. But, Jeff says, we are lucky that we have the Moon nearby. It has low gravity that would be easy to launch from and he foresees it being mined extensively and becoming the site for much of the Earth's heavy industry. Zone the Earth residential and light-industrial he says.
To kick-start that, Blue is providing a few more details about its already announced Blue Moon project. This coincides with Trump and Pence's directions to NASA to return humans to the Moon, this time to say. Jeff thinks that's great and applauds it. Apparently Blue is hoping to get some NASA lunar funding and contracts (like SpaceX has done for satellite launches, space-station resupply and commercial crew.
Blue Moon consists of a lander that will be launched by Blue's really large multiple reusable New Glenn rocket, currently under development. It will be able to land all kinds of payloads on the Moon, including a crew cabin for astronauts, rovers or other cargo that would sit on top of it. 3 1/2 - 6 1/2 tons payload to the lunar surface.
Sounds like a 3 part plan (with my own take on each part's plausibility):
1. Return humans to the Moon. (Doable in the next five years.)
2. Eventually industrialize the Moon. (A generation or more off...)
3. Even more eventually, create giant free-floating space colonies that might someday support most of the human population. (A long ways off, centuries if ever.)
Here's Jeff and his lander.
If you like what Jeff wants to do, Spend More at Amazon! (I'm doing my part.)
Here's a short Blue Moon video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_conti...mk1oHzvNKA