The billionaire battle for space tourists heats up as Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin set to reveal trip simulation at Oshkosh airshow

  • Exhibit will feature a 1:1 mockup of New Shepard's astronaut crew capsule
  • Has seating for six people, and giant windows 
  • Guest will recline in flight-ready seats and experience a simulated flight to space
  • Windows will show real mission footage from New Shepard's on board cameras

Jeff Bezos is set to give the public a rare chance to step inside his space firm Blue Origin's capsule to experience a virtual ride into orbit and the battle of the space billionaires heats up.

Bezos backed Blue Origin is in a battle with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and Elon Musk's SpaceX to offer tourist flights to orbit.

Blue Origin's first public  exhibit will feature a 1:1 mockup of New Shepard's astronaut crew capsule, which has seating for six people, and guests will be able to climb inside, recline in flight-ready seats and experience a simulated flight to space created with real mission footage from New Shepard's on board cameras. 

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Blue Origin's exhibit will feature a 1:1 mockup of New Shepard's astronaut crew capsule, which has seating for six people, and will use real mission footage to simulate the trip into space. The 'New Shepard' capsule's roomy interior includes seats for six travellers, who will be treated to views from the 'largest windows in space'. The capsule offers 530 cubic feet (15 cubic metres) of space - large enough for passengers to float freely and turn weightless somersaults.

Blue Origin's exhibit will feature a 1:1 mockup of New Shepard's astronaut crew capsule, which has seating for six people, and will use real mission footage to simulate the trip into space. The 'New Shepard' capsule's roomy interior includes seats for six travellers, who will be treated to views from the 'largest windows in space'. The capsule offers 530 cubic feet (15 cubic metres) of space - large enough for passengers to float freely and turn weightless somersaults.

BLUE ORIGIN MISSION 

Blue Origin's suborbital New Shepard launch system consists of a rocket and capsule designed to fly payloads and passengers to about 100 kilometres (62 miles) above the planet.

The two vehicles launch together, accelerating for approximately two and a half minutes, before the engine cuts off.

The capsule then separates from the booster to coast quietly into space.

After a few minutes of free fall, the booster performs an autonomous rocket-powered vertical landing, while the capsule lands softly under parachutes, both ready to be used again. 

The company has not yet set a price for rides

 

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The crew capsule features the largest windows in spaceflight history, which take up more than one-third of the capsule's surface area offering every astronaut stellar views during flight.

'We are very excited to come to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017 and showcase our reusable New Shepard rocket and crew capsule so everyone can experience what it's like to be an astronaut,' said Rob Meyerson, president of Blue Origin. 

'We hope to inspire the explorers of tomorrow, the ones who will help us achieve Blue Origin's goal of millions of people living and working in space.'

 The exhibit will be over the week of July 24-30 during the Experimental Aircraft Association's 65th annual fly-in convention at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

'EAA AirVenture Oshkosh has always showcased innovation, imagination, and achievement in flight, which makes Blue Origin's presence at Oshkosh an excellent fit,' said Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and Chairman. 

'As we salute the accomplishments of the Apollo program this year at AirVenture, it is also fitting that we welcome an organization that is developing the next step in the future of manned spaceflight.' 

Earlier this month the private spaceflight company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos plans to build a powerful new rocket engine in Alabama for space flight, the company and state officials announced Monday.

Blue Origin President Robert Meyerson said his company is seeking a production contract with United Launch Alliance, a private company that provides satellite launches for the U.S. government and others. 

He said the company will locate a production factory for the BE-4 rocket engine in Huntsville upon a contract being signed. 

Jeff Bezos rocket firm Blur Origin plans to build a powerful new rocket engine in Alabama for space flight, the company and state officials have announced.

Jeff Bezos rocket firm Blur Origin plans to build a powerful new rocket engine in Alabama for space flight, the company and state officials have announced.

Blue Origin To Bring Its Historic, Flown New Shepard Reusable Rocket And Crew Capsule To EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2017

Blue Origin To Bring Its Historic, Flown New Shepard Reusable Rocket And Crew Capsule To EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2017

According to the company's website, the powerful BE-4 engine is designed to end dependence on Russian-built engines for launching payloads into space.

'Alabama is a proven leader in aerospace manufacturing with the highest-skilled workforce, business climate and leadership that we need to produce low-cost rocket engines that we need to protect the nation, (and) explore the universe,' Meyerson said at a news conference in Huntsville.

Blue Origin is considered a leading contender for the contract after it and ULA entered into a partnership last year with the U.S. Air Force to develop a new rocket propulsion system to power Vulcan, ULA's new rocket designed to carry heavy payloads into space.

A spokeswoman for ULA declined by email to discuss the status of the project, saying it is an ongoing procurement.

In making the announcement, Blue Origin said it would invest $200 million in the Huntsville facility and expects to employ up to 350 people producing as many as 30 engines a year.

THE BATTLE OF THE BILLIONAIRES

Blue Origin will go up against space firms from Elon Musk and Richard Branson with its plans to launch cargo and people into space.

Musk's SpaceX is the most advanced of the firms, and already has several satellite launches - and failures - under its belt. 

Its Dragon capsule was due to begin ferrying astronauts to the International Space station in 2018, although a delayed date has not been confirmed.

The three billionaires - (from left) Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson and all hoping to send tourists into space

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic will focus on both tourist trips and launching cargo, and recently unveiled an upgraded booster to launch satellites.  

Richard Branson has confirmed plans to launch people into space in 2018, with the first test flights beginning this year.

Already 500 potential customers have reserved a spot on one of his trips at a cost of $250,000 (£200,000) each. 

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic will focus on both tourist trips and launching cargo, and recently unveiled an upgraded booster to launch satellites.

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic will focus on both tourist trips and launching cargo, and recently unveiled an upgraded booster to launch satellites.

In a new interview, Branson said that Virgin Galactic will start performing powered tests of its SpaceShipTwo craft every three weeks, with plans to extend them into space by November or December.

And after his own flight, full commercial passenger operations will start by the end of 2018, he said.

Currently, Blue origins and Virgin Galactic plan on  entering space close to the boundary with Earth at approximately 329,839 feet (101km). 

But Space X's re-useable rockets have loftier plans to stay in orbit, which requires more fuel and power.

 

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'Blue Origin, welcome to Alabama,' Gov. Kay Ivey said in an announcement Monday. 'We thank you for investing in our people.'

The Alabama Development office said in a release that the state offered an incentive package of more than $50 million, including a $30 million tax credit for investment and up to $10 million in reimbursements for eligible capital costs.

Blue Origin is currently developing a BE-4 engine for its New Glenn rockets (pictured) that the firm plans to test in just three years. Jeff Bezos said: 'That vehicle will fly in in 2020 for the first time'

Blue Origin is currently developing a BE-4 engine for its New Glenn rockets (pictured) that the firm plans to test in just three years. Jeff Bezos said: 'That vehicle will fly in in 2020 for the first time'

Ivey said the project would build on the historic role that Huntsville and Alabama have played in the development of the American space program.

SPACEX'S PRIVATE MOON MISSION

Elon Musk's SpaceX will launch a crewed mission beyond the moon for two private paying customers in 2018, it has been revealed. 

It will be the first time in 45 years humans have been in deep space, said the company, promising its mission will go 'faster and further' than any humans before them.

Elon Musk's SpaceX will launch a crewed mission beyond the moon for two private paying customers in 2018, it has been revealed.

Elon Musk's SpaceX will launch a crewed mission beyond the moon for two private paying customers in 2018, it has been revealed.

The week-long mission will take place some time in late 2018 and will 'skim the surface of the moon' then venture into deep space before returning to Earth, Musk revealed.  

SpaceX will launch the private mission on a journey to circumnavigate the moon and return to Earth.

Lift-off will be from Kennedy Space Center's historic Pad 39A near Cape Canaveral – the same launch pad used by the Apollo program for its lunar missions. 

The mission will use one of SpaceX's Dragon capsules, which will be modified to allow communications in deep space. 

The Dragon will be capable of operating autonomously throughout the whole flight, but the passengers will be trained in emergency procedures. 

The mission would 'do a long loop around the moon' and would take about a week.

Musk says it will 'skim the surface of the moon, go quite a bit further out into deep space' and then return to Earth. 

The total flight would go about 300,000 to 400,000 miles into space. 

 

 

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The BE-4 is fueled by liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas to produce 550,000 pounds (250,000 kilograms) of thrust and is intended to be used in both government and commercial missions. 

The engine is designed for both the Vulcan rocket being developed by ULA and Blue Origin's New Glenn orbital rocket and capsule, which is under development.

One political leader praised the project as a way to give space flight in the U.S. independence from Russian-made rocket engines.

'You are going to do well here, and we're going to replace that Russian engine,' Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama told Blue Origin officials at the event in Huntsville.

BLUE ORIGIN ROCKETS

Blue Origin and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos unveiled a new rocket in October last year that will launch payloads and people into orbit.

Called 'New Glenn', this launcher comes in two stages that make it larger than SpaceX's future Heavy rocket.

'New Glenn 3-stage' is 23 feet in diameter and stands 313 feet tall.

Blue Origin has various rockets, raning from its smallest Antares rocket, all the way up to its huge Saturn V rocket

Blue Origin has various rockets, raning from its smallest Antares rocket, all the way up to its huge Saturn V rocket

And 'New Glenn 2-stage' is also 23 feet in diameter, but measures 270 feet tall.

Each stage lifts off with 3.85 million pounds of thrust from seven BE-4 engines.

A single vacuum-optimized BE-3 engine, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, will power New Glenn's third stage.

However, the booster and the second stage are identical in both variants.

Blue Origin plans to fly New Glen by the end of the decade from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. 

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