What is Blue Origin and Its Purpose with NASA?
Blue Origin is an American sub-orbital spaceflight and aerospace manufacturer founded by Jeff Bezos in 2000. Blue Origin is a privately held American company that develops and manufactures spacecraft, orbital launch vehicles, and rocket engines for the United States government. Blue Origin currently sells both commercial spaceflight and sub-orbital spaceflights by private individuals.
Blue Origin has also been involved in developing reusable rockets that have flown numerous times successfully. Their New Shepard design has conducted three successful sub-orbital launches of humans into near-space. In contrast, New Glenn's bigger vehicle will have an orbital class reusability design capable of launching payloads to the International Space Station on its first flight in 2022. The firm is also developing New Glenn, a new family of reusable orbital launch vehicles. In addition, Blue Origin is developing the BE-4 rocket engine. The BE-4 rocket engine is one of the most advanced liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen engines designed on orbital launchers. It is a modern development from the BE-3 used on New Shepard launched subsystems such as parachutes.
What is the History of Blue Origin?
In 2000, Blue Origin was incorporated in Kent, Washington, by Jeff Bezos. In 2003, Rob Meyerson, an Aerospace engineer, joined the company. He served as the president of Blue Origin and contributed to its growth of 10 to 1500 individuals, then left in late 2018. In 2005, the company's program, New Shepard, named after the first American in space, Alan Shepard, aims to make its first suborbital spaceflight.
In 2006, Goddard's first flight test of the New Shepard program took place, and he has retired since then. From 2008 to 2010 the company continued to work on the New Shepard program, with a modified approach that includes its landing spaceship and vertical takeoff. In 2011, the company planned to fly uncrewed, and in 2012 it intended to fly crew.
Also, in 2011, NASA awarded the company $22 million as one of its Commercial Crew Program. This program is NASA's work with its business partners to create spacecraft and rockets. In 2012, as part of the company's work with CCP of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, it successfully launched a suborbital New Shepard capsule. In 2016, the company named its dual-stage rocket the New Glenn, after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth. Seven Blue Origin BE-4, as a rocket engine, powered the rocket.
In 2017, Blue Origin launched a test flight of its New Shepard, including the technology necessary to eventually fly full-fledged passenger trips into space, which NASA funds. Whose aim is to help save the lives of astronauts in space suffering from collapsed lungs. In 2019, Blue Origin announced Blue Moon, a lunar lander, which is the first time in history that a private company has ever landed a spacecraft on the moon. In 2021, the company made history when New Shepard completed the first flight by carrying four citizens.
Blue Origin's Mission/Objective
The mission of blue origin is building a road to the moon. This company is focused on reusing rockets and vehicles. They are planning to use reusable rockets for space launches. This will reduce the cost of launching to visit the moon easily. Another mission of this company is to build a new sustainable transportation system. It will help the world to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. According to them, this will be very beneficial for the environment. The company has had many successful missions in the past few years. Blue Origin has released the New Shepard rocket launching and a new type of hybrid engine called BE-4. The company plans to build a second rocket called New Glenn in NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which will reduce the cost of space launch services and transportation systems. They have already signed some agreements with foreign companies and countries like India and China regarding this project, showing that they are seriously concerned about blue origin's mission to provide international cooperation in space research and development exploration programs. Blue Origin also announced their intentions to develop an interplanetary vehicle named Blue Moon powered by a BE-7 engine. Its primary mission was to demonstrate Blue Origin's ability to safely and reliably land on the moon. Moreover, the primary purpose of Blue Origin is to provide the world with a cheaper, reliable, and faster way of getting to space.
How Blue Origin Has Helped NASA
Blue origin has helped NASA reduce the cost of launching, and also, they are planning to build colonies on the moon. The company holds a contract with NASA to develop a new rocket. It is also working on a crew capsule capable of carrying astronauts, who will ride on their New Shepard rocket, designed for suborbital spaceflight. Additionally, Blue origin has submitted a bid for NASA's commercial crew program. Also, this company has developed a lunar lander for NASA.
This company is active in aerospace engineering and aeronautics development, supporting NASA by providing affordable access to space for government and commercial customers. Blue Origin is a privately owned company that focuses on creating future industries in aerospace and rocketry. In collaboration with NASA, they turn New Shepard into a moon simulator.
Moreover, Blue Origin has set up a new way to develop space vehicles that helps NASA. It is considered a very reliable and affordable way of going to space. Blue Origin helps develop an affordable and self-sufficient life in space for the private-minded customer.