Sunday, April 29, the company Blue Origin conducted another test launch of a new reusable rocket New Shepard and the space vehicle which in future will be used as a tourist ship bringing people to the borders of outer space. For a series of missiles of this modification it was the eighth start and the second for the payload. But in contrast to the bright and colorful SpaceX launches, accompanied by a powerful PR, fanfare and live broadcasts for the Blue Origin is only the second time the company has made one of his tests are open to the public in real time. Why all the secrecy?
The launch of New Shepard 29 APR
No one in Blue Origin – neither the leaders, nor even the founder Jeff Bezos – not to say about why the development of a company surrounded by such a veil of secrecy. However, if you look at the information that is usually provided in an interview with the official representatives of the company, it becomes clear that Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin rather pay more attention actually develop and manufacture their product, rather than abide by a simple desire to connect to the hype around the “second space race”.
“Space is a serious thing. The stakes here are very high,” said Caitlin O’keefe Dietrich, head of Department on public relations of the company Blue Origin, the question of the portal Engadget about whether the company feels any pressure from the outside and if she had the desire to accelerate tests through the use of best practices and achievements of its competitors in the face of SpaceX and Virgin Galactic.
“Our philosophy is to gradual, phased approach of the development of space technologies. And thanks to this approach we were able to achieve tangible progress,” added Dietrich.
If to speak more simply, Blue Origin completely uninteresting all mediaclick that suits SpaceX. The company is not trying to outdo their rivals in each project she just leads a quiet, leisurely development of two missiles (New Shepard and New Glenn) and hopes to launch the first manned flight to the end of 2018. Only care about Blue Origin Blue Origin. That’s all.
Too early to say whether the chosen strategy, Blue Origin more effective than that used SpaceX or not. Competition is the engine of progress. However, with such rapid growth and development of the commercial industry (and the apparent desire to monopolize SpaceX) is very easy to play in this innovation and progress by missing the actual main point of this entire competitive race.
Who will win it? The one who will be able to send humans into space further than ever. In this sense, all really try not to rush and consider this possibility in more dolgorukovoj term. In an interview, Dietrich said that, watching a desire all around to create a future in which millions of people will live and work space company, Blue Origin “pleases each new step towards creating a new and more productive systems.”
Returning to the issue of stealth runs, it should be noted that eternally silent about its progress in the development of Blue Origin also fail. In the end, the company strives to sell tickets to regular people for the right to fly to space. And until you show what you did, money you nobody will.
As for the closer prospects, the company does not forget about usual growth. For example, according to the latest information, Blue Origin is competing for the right to contract for the development of a new class of orbital rockets for the U.S. air force.
Blue Origin reusable rocket is experiencing. But why so secretive?
Nikolai Khizhnyak