The Blue Origin flight is a lot shorter than Virgin Galactic

[brooklynite]

From launch to detachment of the passenger capsule / zero G is only two minutes, followed by 3-4 minutes of suborbit, followed by parachute descent and landing in 11 minutes.

[samnsara]

1. so cool!!!!

[Hugin]

2. Oh, come on people!

It's going to take longer than that to get into the 4.76 mile club.


Uh, or so I've heard.

[TheBlackAdder]

3. Apparently that big phallus can't keep it up. (Bezos can't keep it up!)

.



.

[LastDemocratInSC]

4. The primary reason is that the New Shepard craft

doesn't need to be carried to 50,000 feet to be launched. It is launched from the ground and gets up to high altitude quickly on its own.

I suspect the time that between the actual launch of each craft, and the time to landing, is similar.

[brooklynite]

5. My recollection was that VG gave you 10-15 minutes in zero-G, as opposed to 3-4 on New Shepard.

[LastDemocratInSC]

6. VG provides more zero G time but I think it's not a lot more.

VG flies along a parabolic arc. The VG engine runs for a short period to get up to about Mach 3 and when the engine is turned off zero G begins and continues while the craft is flying the arc. On the down side of the arc zero G ends when the first atmospheric drag occurs.

New Shepard is similar but it flies straight up. Zero G begins when the engine is turned off and the craft is released. The rocket starts its descent but the manned craft continues to the highest altitude when it begins falling pretty much straight down. Zero G ends when the stabilizing parachute is released.

I'm not sure of the timings but VG flies a greater distance in zero G because of the parabolic. That might account for longer weightless time.

[edhopper]

7. Reports are it was 5 minutes

Bezos reached 55 miles, while Branson got to 62 miles.

If anyone is measuring dicks.

[LastDemocratInSC]

8. Very similar times of weightlessness.

If you throw a baseball straight out (no vertical rise) it will hit the ground at the same time as a baseball that's dropped from the same height. The baseballs will experience zero G (microgravity, really, because of the atmospheric drag) but the "time of flight" will be the same. But the ball that was thrown will travel a greater distance.

[WHITT]

14. According To

NASA, the FAA, and the Air Force, they were both sub-orbital space flights. Rather petty for Bezos to try and claim it's only the case if the Karman Line is crossed. Nobody would be able to delineate between being 54 miles up and 64 miles up.

[Hugin]

9. When all is said and done...

I'm much more impressed with the Virgin Galactic technology in the long run for a number of reasons.

It was nice to see it proven.

And, yes, I think it has a future beyond launching rich folks into space.

[Dial H For Hero]

10. What I find truly impressive is SpaceX. As I recall, a Falcon Heavy can put payloads into orbit for

only one tenth the cost per kg as a Delta IV. And if the Starship proves sucessful, it's projected to reduce such costs by an additional 99%, down to only $10 per kg.

[Hugin]

11. It's that price/weight ratio which is key to really moving into space.

I share a belief in a staged approach to space exploration with several of the early rocket pioneers.

Which was steadily being worked on until the space race intervened and the one shot quick firsts took over.

That requires a low launch cost to build up an off Earth infrastructure to support truly monumental development of zero G industry and long distance space exploration.

[tinrobot]

12. So Bezos finishes more quickly?

Sounds about right.

[WHITT]

13. I Think

the slower glider ride/view back down would be pretty freaking spectacular in it's own right, instead of dropping like a rock until the chutes open.