#newglenn — Public Fediverse posts

AST SpaceMobile re-calibrates its space based cellular (Direct-to-Device) roll out into 2027 after impacts by rocket launch failures, satellite loss, and subsequent shift to using SpaceX Falcon 9 launch systems for its next 3 satellites - BlueBird 11,12,13 with target launch dates in Aug 2026. https://satnews.com/2026/07/16/ast-spacemobile-defers-commercial-direct-to-device-timeline-to-early-2027/ #ASTSpaceMobile #Space #Satellites #DirecttoDevice #D2D #SpaceX #Falcon9 #NewGlenn #BlueBird

AST SpaceMobile re-calibrates its space based cellular (Direct-to-Device) roll out into 2027 after impacts by rocket launch failures, satellite loss, and subsequent shift to using SpaceX Falcon 9 launch systems for its next 3 satellites - BlueBird 11,12,13 with target launch dates in Aug 2026. https://satnews.com/2026/07/16/ast-spacemobile-defers-commercial-direct-to-device-timeline-to-early-2027/ #ASTSpaceMobile #Space #Satellites #DirecttoDevice #D2D #SpaceX #Falcon9 #NewGlenn #BlueBird

AST SpaceMobile re-calibrates its space based cellular (Direct-to-Device) roll out into 2027 after impacts by rocket launch failures, satellite loss, and subsequent shift to using SpaceX Falcon 9 launch systems for its next 3 satellites - BlueBird 11,12,13 with target launch dates in Aug 2026. https://satnews.com/2026/07/16/ast-spacemobile-defers-commercial-direct-to-device-timeline-to-early-2027/ #ASTSpaceMobile #Space #Satellites #DirecttoDevice #D2D #SpaceX #Falcon9 #NewGlenn #BlueBird

AST SpaceMobile re-calibrates its space based cellular (Direct-to-Device) roll out into 2027 after impacts by rocket launch failures, satellite loss, and subsequent shift to using SpaceX Falcon 9 launch systems for its next 3 satellites - BlueBird 11,12,13 with target launch dates in Aug 2026. https://satnews.com/2026/07/16/ast-spacemobile-defers-commercial-direct-to-device-timeline-to-early-2027/ #ASTSpaceMobile #Space #Satellites #DirecttoDevice #D2D #SpaceX #Falcon9 #NewGlenn #BlueBird

AST SpaceMobile re-calibrates its space based cellular (Direct-to-Device) roll out into 2027 after impacts by rocket launch failures, satellite loss, and subsequent shift to using SpaceX Falcon 9 launch systems for its next 3 satellites - BlueBird 11,12,13 with target launch dates in Aug 2026. https://satnews.com/2026/07/16/ast-spacemobile-defers-commercial-direct-to-device-timeline-to-early-2027/ #ASTSpaceMobile #Space #Satellites #DirecttoDevice #D2D #SpaceX #Falcon9 #NewGlenn #BlueBird

RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/116913521019668220

The bulk of expenses in operating a #SpaceStation will come from transporting crew and cargo to the facilities.

#SpaceX’s launch activity will migrate to #Starship. Keeping #Falcon9 just to support #CrewDragon would certainly increase the price.

Even if #SpaceX raises crew transportation prices, it seems unlikely that #Boeing will be able to compete on reliability or cost. Another alternative is #BlueOrigin, which has been working on a crewed vehicle to fly atop the #NewGlenn rocket

https://www.europesays.com/ie/575456/ Blue Origin reportedly raising $10B at $130B valuation #BlueOrigin #CoatueManagement #Éire #IE #InBrief #Ireland #JeffBezos #NewGlenn #Science #Space

Blue Origin continues work on lunar landers during recovery from New Glenn explosion

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-continues-work-on-lunar-landers-during-recovery-from-new-glenn-explosion/

#AmazonLeo now has more than 390 satellites 🛰️ in orbit.

#SpaceX has already launched more than 10,000 satellites for its #Starlink network, delivering nearly 1,600 Starlinks to orbit in the first half of 2026 https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/amazon-leo-space-internet-spacex-starlink-b3008105.html

#BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #LaunchCadence

#AmazonLeo now has more than 390 satellites 🛰️ in orbit.

#SpaceX has already launched more than 10,000 satellites for its #Starlink network, delivering nearly 1,600 Starlinks to orbit in the first half of 2026 https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/amazon-leo-space-internet-spacex-starlink-b3008105.html

#BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #LaunchCadence

Blue Origin switches to new concept for rocket launches
One month after a New Glenn rocket explosion damaged its Florida launch pad, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture has decided to shift its focus to a new concept for future launches.

“To return to flight this year, we’re not rebuilding the same pad,” Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said in an online update.
https://cosmiclog.com/2026/06/30/blue-origin-switches-to-new-concept-for-rocket-launches/
#GeekWire #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #Space

Blue Origin switches to new concept for rocket launches
One month after a New Glenn rocket explosion damaged its Florida launch pad, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture has decided to shift its focus to a new concept for future launches.

“To return to flight this year, we’re not rebuilding the same pad,” Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said in an online update.
https://cosmiclog.com/2026/06/30/blue-origin-switches-to-new-concept-for-rocket-launches/
#GeekWire #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #Space

RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/116761857785204918

#NewGlenn is expected to carry at least 50 #Amazon Leo satellites to orbit per flight, compared to #Ariane’s 36

RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/116761857785204918

#NewGlenn is expected to carry at least 50 #Amazon Leo satellites to orbit per flight, compared to #Ariane’s 36

RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/116761857785204918

#NewGlenn is expected to carry at least 50 #Amazon Leo satellites to orbit per flight, compared to #Ariane’s 36

RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/116761857785204918

#NewGlenn is expected to carry at least 50 #Amazon Leo satellites to orbit per flight, compared to #Ariane’s 36

RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/116761857785204918

#NewGlenn is expected to carry at least 50 #Amazon Leo satellites to orbit per flight, compared to #Ariane’s 36

FCC ratuje kosmiczny internet Amazona. Firma zyskała więcej czasu na walkę ze Starlinkiem

Amerykańska Federalna Komisja Łączności (FCC) poszła na rękę gigantowi e-commerce.

Amazon opóźnia się z budową swojej konstelacji satelitarnej Amazon Leo (wcześniej znanej jako Project Kuiper). Urząd zniósł jednak kluczowy termin narzucony firmie w licencji, otwarcie przyznając, że rynek desperacko potrzebuje konkurencji dla usług dostarczanych przez firmę Elona Muska.

Terminy kontra rzeczywistość

Zgodnie z pierwotną licencją przyznaną w 2020 roku, Amazon zobowiązał się do umieszczenia na orbicie połowy ze swojej docelowej konstelacji (liczącej 3232 satelity) do 30 lipca bieżącego roku. Osiągnięcie pułapu 1616 urządzeń w nieco ponad miesiąc od teraz jest fizycznie niemożliwe – obecnie na orbicie znajduje się zaledwie 333 satelitów Amazona.

Firma złożyła wniosek o wydłużenie tego czasu. FCC zdecydowała się na niemal całkowite zniesienie rygorystycznego wymogu z lipca 2026 roku. W swoim oświadczeniu instytucja uzasadniła, że ścisłe trzymanie się przepisów uderzyłoby w amerykańskich konsumentów, ograniczając ich wybór. Obecnie SpaceX jest jedynym operatorem dostarczającym szerokopasmowy internet z niskiej orbity okołoziemskiej.

Warto jednak zaznaczyć, że ostateczny termin ukończenia budowy całej sieci, wyznaczony na 30 lipca 2029 roku, pozostaje w mocy.

Rakiety uziemione, satelity czekają w magazynach

Głównym problemem Amazona nie jest tempo produkcji satelitów, lecz brak sprawnych rakiet, które mogłyby je wynieść w kosmos. Firma dysponuje wyprodukowanymi urządzeniami, jednak nowej generacji rakiety o dużej nośności zmagają się z poważnymi problemami technicznymi.

Blue Origin New Glenn miała być koniem pociągowym całego projektu. Plany te legły w gruzach 28 maja, gdy rakieta eksplodowała na stanowisku startowym na Florydzie. Na szczęście 48 satelitów Amazona nie było wtedy jeszcze zamontowanych na jej pokładzie.

Kula ognia na Ziemi czy tykająca bomba w kosmosie? Eksplozja rakiety Bezosa to nic przy tym, co robią Chińczycy

Jeżeli chodzi o alternatywę to ULA Vulcan też nie poleci: producent zawiesił loty tego nośnika, aby zbadać i wyeliminować powtarzający się problem z rakietami pomocniczymi na paliwo stałe.

W rezultacie główny ciężar operacji opiera się obecnie na europejskiej rakiecie Ariane 6 oraz wycofywanej już z użytku rakiecie Atlas V, dla której Amazon zarezerwował ostatni dostępny lot.

Paradoks rynkowej walki

Decyzja FCC została podjęta wbrew oficjalnym protestom ze strony SpaceX, które aktywnie sprzeciwiało się wnioskowi Amazona o taryfę ulgową.

Co ciekawe, wspomniane wcześniej opóźnienia u zewnętrznych dostawców rakiet zmusiły Amazona do weryfikacji swoich założeń biznesowych. Firma, która początkowo celowo unikała usług SpaceX, musiała ostatecznie wykupić u tego operatora 13 misji na pokładzie sprawdzonych rakiet Falcon 9. Doprowadziło to do nietypowej sytuacji rynkowej, w której Amazon płaci swojemu największemu konkurentowi miliony dolarów za pomoc w budowie usługi, która docelowo ma odebrać mu klientów.

FCC ratuje kosmiczny internet Amazona. Firma zyskała więcej czasu na walkę ze Starlinkiem

Amerykańska Federalna Komisja Łączności (FCC) poszła na rękę gigantowi e-commerce.

Amazon opóźnia się z budową swojej konstelacji satelitarnej Amazon Leo (wcześniej znanej jako Project Kuiper). Urząd zniósł jednak kluczowy termin narzucony firmie w licencji, otwarcie przyznając, że rynek desperacko potrzebuje konkurencji dla usług dostarczanych przez firmę Elona Muska.

Terminy kontra rzeczywistość

Zgodnie z pierwotną licencją przyznaną w 2020 roku, Amazon zobowiązał się do umieszczenia na orbicie połowy ze swojej docelowej konstelacji (liczącej 3232 satelity) do 30 lipca bieżącego roku. Osiągnięcie pułapu 1616 urządzeń w nieco ponad miesiąc od teraz jest fizycznie niemożliwe – obecnie na orbicie znajduje się zaledwie 333 satelitów Amazona.

Firma złożyła wniosek o wydłużenie tego czasu. FCC zdecydowała się na niemal całkowite zniesienie rygorystycznego wymogu z lipca 2026 roku. W swoim oświadczeniu instytucja uzasadniła, że ścisłe trzymanie się przepisów uderzyłoby w amerykańskich konsumentów, ograniczając ich wybór. Obecnie SpaceX jest jedynym operatorem dostarczającym szerokopasmowy internet z niskiej orbity okołoziemskiej.

Warto jednak zaznaczyć, że ostateczny termin ukończenia budowy całej sieci, wyznaczony na 30 lipca 2029 roku, pozostaje w mocy.

Rakiety uziemione, satelity czekają w magazynach

Głównym problemem Amazona nie jest tempo produkcji satelitów, lecz brak sprawnych rakiet, które mogłyby je wynieść w kosmos. Firma dysponuje wyprodukowanymi urządzeniami, jednak nowej generacji rakiety o dużej nośności zmagają się z poważnymi problemami technicznymi.

Blue Origin New Glenn miała być koniem pociągowym całego projektu. Plany te legły w gruzach 28 maja, gdy rakieta eksplodowała na stanowisku startowym na Florydzie. Na szczęście 48 satelitów Amazona nie było wtedy jeszcze zamontowanych na jej pokładzie.

Kula ognia na Ziemi czy tykająca bomba w kosmosie? Eksplozja rakiety Bezosa to nic przy tym, co robią Chińczycy

Jeżeli chodzi o alternatywę to ULA Vulcan też nie poleci: producent zawiesił loty tego nośnika, aby zbadać i wyeliminować powtarzający się problem z rakietami pomocniczymi na paliwo stałe.

W rezultacie główny ciężar operacji opiera się obecnie na europejskiej rakiecie Ariane 6 oraz wycofywanej już z użytku rakiecie Atlas V, dla której Amazon zarezerwował ostatni dostępny lot.

Paradoks rynkowej walki

Decyzja FCC została podjęta wbrew oficjalnym protestom ze strony SpaceX, które aktywnie sprzeciwiało się wnioskowi Amazona o taryfę ulgową.

Co ciekawe, wspomniane wcześniej opóźnienia u zewnętrznych dostawców rakiet zmusiły Amazona do weryfikacji swoich założeń biznesowych. Firma, która początkowo celowo unikała usług SpaceX, musiała ostatecznie wykupić u tego operatora 13 misji na pokładzie sprawdzonych rakiet Falcon 9. Doprowadziło to do nietypowej sytuacji rynkowej, w której Amazon płaci swojemu największemu konkurentowi miliony dolarów za pomoc w budowie usługi, która docelowo ma odebrać mu klientów.

FCC ratuje kosmiczny internet Amazona. Firma zyskała więcej czasu na walkę ze Starlinkiem

Amerykańska Federalna Komisja Łączności (FCC) poszła na rękę gigantowi e-commerce.

Amazon opóźnia się z budową swojej konstelacji satelitarnej Amazon Leo (wcześniej znanej jako Project Kuiper). Urząd zniósł jednak kluczowy termin narzucony firmie w licencji, otwarcie przyznając, że rynek desperacko potrzebuje konkurencji dla usług dostarczanych przez firmę Elona Muska.

Terminy kontra rzeczywistość

Zgodnie z pierwotną licencją przyznaną w 2020 roku, Amazon zobowiązał się do umieszczenia na orbicie połowy ze swojej docelowej konstelacji (liczącej 3232 satelity) do 30 lipca bieżącego roku. Osiągnięcie pułapu 1616 urządzeń w nieco ponad miesiąc od teraz jest fizycznie niemożliwe – obecnie na orbicie znajduje się zaledwie 333 satelitów Amazona.

Firma złożyła wniosek o wydłużenie tego czasu. FCC zdecydowała się na niemal całkowite zniesienie rygorystycznego wymogu z lipca 2026 roku. W swoim oświadczeniu instytucja uzasadniła, że ścisłe trzymanie się przepisów uderzyłoby w amerykańskich konsumentów, ograniczając ich wybór. Obecnie SpaceX jest jedynym operatorem dostarczającym szerokopasmowy internet z niskiej orbity okołoziemskiej.

Warto jednak zaznaczyć, że ostateczny termin ukończenia budowy całej sieci, wyznaczony na 30 lipca 2029 roku, pozostaje w mocy.

Rakiety uziemione, satelity czekają w magazynach

Głównym problemem Amazona nie jest tempo produkcji satelitów, lecz brak sprawnych rakiet, które mogłyby je wynieść w kosmos. Firma dysponuje wyprodukowanymi urządzeniami, jednak nowej generacji rakiety o dużej nośności zmagają się z poważnymi problemami technicznymi.

Blue Origin New Glenn miała być koniem pociągowym całego projektu. Plany te legły w gruzach 28 maja, gdy rakieta eksplodowała na stanowisku startowym na Florydzie. Na szczęście 48 satelitów Amazona nie było wtedy jeszcze zamontowanych na jej pokładzie.

Kula ognia na Ziemi czy tykająca bomba w kosmosie? Eksplozja rakiety Bezosa to nic przy tym, co robią Chińczycy

Jeżeli chodzi o alternatywę to ULA Vulcan też nie poleci: producent zawiesił loty tego nośnika, aby zbadać i wyeliminować powtarzający się problem z rakietami pomocniczymi na paliwo stałe.

W rezultacie główny ciężar operacji opiera się obecnie na europejskiej rakiecie Ariane 6 oraz wycofywanej już z użytku rakiecie Atlas V, dla której Amazon zarezerwował ostatni dostępny lot.

Paradoks rynkowej walki

Decyzja FCC została podjęta wbrew oficjalnym protestom ze strony SpaceX, które aktywnie sprzeciwiało się wnioskowi Amazona o taryfę ulgową.

Co ciekawe, wspomniane wcześniej opóźnienia u zewnętrznych dostawców rakiet zmusiły Amazona do weryfikacji swoich założeń biznesowych. Firma, która początkowo celowo unikała usług SpaceX, musiała ostatecznie wykupić u tego operatora 13 misji na pokładzie sprawdzonych rakiet Falcon 9. Doprowadziło to do nietypowej sytuacji rynkowej, w której Amazon płaci swojemu największemu konkurentowi miliony dolarów za pomoc w budowie usługi, która docelowo ma odebrać mu klientów.

#NASA #ARTEMIS3 #NEWGLENN #SPACEX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0oTKtKg5SU

#NASA #ARTEMIS3 #NEWGLENN #SPACEX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0oTKtKg5SU

Launch Vehicle Cost Comparison (2026)

Vehicle LEO Payload List Price $/kg (LEO)

#FalconHeavy 63,800 kg $97M $1,520
#NewGlenn 45,000 kg ~$85M (est.) ~$1,900
#Falcon9 22,800 kg $67M $2,940
#Neutron (est.) 13,000 kg ~$50M (est.) ~$3,850
#Ariane64 21,650 kg ~$115M ~$5,310
#Vulcan Centaur 27,200 kg ~$120M (est.) ~$4,410
#H3 (Japan) 6,500 kg ~$50M ~$7,690
#Electron 300 kg $7.5M $25,000
#Starship (target) 150,000 kg TBD $100-500 (target)

https://spacenexus.us/guide/space-launch-cost-comparison#cost-per-kg

#LaunchCost

Launch Vehicle Cost Comparison (2026)

Vehicle LEO Payload List Price $/kg (LEO)

#FalconHeavy 63,800 kg $97M $1,520
#NewGlenn 45,000 kg ~$85M (est.) ~$1,900
#Falcon9 22,800 kg $67M $2,940
#Neutron (est.) 13,000 kg ~$50M (est.) ~$3,850
#Ariane64 21,650 kg ~$115M ~$5,310
#Vulcan Centaur 27,200 kg ~$120M (est.) ~$4,410
#H3 (Japan) 6,500 kg ~$50M ~$7,690
#Electron 300 kg $7.5M $25,000
#Starship (target) 150,000 kg TBD $100-500 (target)

https://spacenexus.us/guide/space-launch-cost-comparison#cost-per-kg

#LaunchCost

Launch Vehicle Cost Comparison (2026)

Vehicle LEO Payload List Price $/kg (LEO)

#FalconHeavy 63,800 kg $97M $1,520
#NewGlenn 45,000 kg ~$85M (est.) ~$1,900
#Falcon9 22,800 kg $67M $2,940
#Neutron (est.) 13,000 kg ~$50M (est.) ~$3,850
#Ariane64 21,650 kg ~$115M ~$5,310
#Vulcan Centaur 27,200 kg ~$120M (est.) ~$4,410
#H3 (Japan) 6,500 kg ~$50M ~$7,690
#Electron 300 kg $7.5M $25,000
#Starship (target) 150,000 kg TBD $100-500 (target)

https://spacenexus.us/guide/space-launch-cost-comparison#cost-per-kg

#LaunchCost

Launch Vehicle Cost Comparison (2026)

Vehicle LEO Payload List Price $/kg (LEO)

#FalconHeavy 63,800 kg $97M $1,520
#NewGlenn 45,000 kg ~$85M (est.) ~$1,900
#Falcon9 22,800 kg $67M $2,940
#Neutron (est.) 13,000 kg ~$50M (est.) ~$3,850
#Ariane64 21,650 kg ~$115M ~$5,310
#Vulcan Centaur 27,200 kg ~$120M (est.) ~$4,410
#H3 (Japan) 6,500 kg ~$50M ~$7,690
#Electron 300 kg $7.5M $25,000
#Starship (target) 150,000 kg TBD $100-500 (target)

https://spacenexus.us/guide/space-launch-cost-comparison#cost-per-kg

#LaunchCost

Launch Vehicle Cost Comparison (2026)

Vehicle LEO Payload List Price $/kg (LEO)

#FalconHeavy 63,800 kg $97M $1,520
#NewGlenn 45,000 kg ~$85M (est.) ~$1,900
#Falcon9 22,800 kg $67M $2,940
#Neutron (est.) 13,000 kg ~$50M (est.) ~$3,850
#Ariane64 21,650 kg ~$115M ~$5,310
#Vulcan Centaur 27,200 kg ~$120M (est.) ~$4,410
#H3 (Japan) 6,500 kg ~$50M ~$7,690
#Electron 300 kg $7.5M $25,000
#Starship (target) 150,000 kg TBD $100-500 (target)

https://spacenexus.us/guide/space-launch-cost-comparison#cost-per-kg

#LaunchCost

Blue Origin’s 320-foot New Glenn rocket suffered a catastrophic anomaly and exploded during a routine "hotfire" static test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

#blueorigin #newglenn #spacex #nasa #artemis #rocketexplosion #capecanaveral #spacecoast #aerospace #rocketscience

Blue Origin’s 320-foot New Glenn rocket suffered a catastrophic anomaly and exploded during a routine "hotfire" static test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

#blueorigin #newglenn #spacex #nasa #artemis #rocketexplosion #capecanaveral #spacecoast #aerospace #rocketscience

Blue Origin’s 320-foot New Glenn rocket suffered a catastrophic anomaly and exploded during a routine "hotfire" static test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

#blueorigin #newglenn #spacex #nasa #artemis #rocketexplosion #capecanaveral #spacecoast #aerospace #rocketscience

Blue Origin’s 320-foot New Glenn rocket suffered a catastrophic anomaly and exploded during a routine "hotfire" static test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

#blueorigin #newglenn #spacex #nasa #artemis #rocketexplosion #capecanaveral #spacecoast #aerospace #rocketscience

Hate Elon Musk as much as you want, but SpaceX denial still isn’t a good look

Last week’s catastrophic explosion of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket didn’t just incinerate that heavy-lift launch system and much of its support infrastructure at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 36; it also sparked a new round of Space Billionaire Schadenfreude.

Which is understandable. Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos may not have groveled for President Trump’s favor as obsequiously as such fellow tech CEOs as Apple’s Tim Cook or Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, but he seems more than content to be seen in Trump’s corner. And around my city, Bezos has richly earned D.C.’s contempt for his incompetent lackeys’ wanton dismantling of the Washington Post.

But Bezos is nowhere near the worst space billionaire. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars to convince voters to return the worst president to office, oversaw the DOGE ransacking of large parts of the federal government, and continues to exploit his overlordship of X to broadcast racist, misogynistic, transphobic, antisemitic and Islamophobic garbage while amplifying some of the stupidest people on the Internet.

Musk’s accumulation and abuse of economic and political power far exceeds Bezos’s and strikes me as much more dangerous. So my first reaction to Blue’s bad day, after sympathy for engineers who saw years of work go up in a fiery mushroom cloud, was that it represents an unfortunate setback to competition for Musk’s space company on multiple levels, from inflight WiFi to landing astronauts on the Moon. I wrote as much at PCMag and, in compressed form, on Bluesky.

I should have known the reaction that post would get: people bashing not only Blue Origin but also SpaceX and the entire concept of NASA inking commercial contracts to send astronauts to space. Each mishap of SpaceX’s Starship rocket–I have written up every launch of that heavy-lift vehicle in my unofficial role as a PCMag space scribe–reliably generates comments along those lines, suggesting that not only is Starship a doomed design but that SpaceX is a failing exercise in crony capitalism.

That sentiment seems to be widely felt. And it’s nonsense.

Fact: SpaceX’s partly reusable Falcon 9–the core of its launch business, the vehicle on which customers from NASA to would-be rivals to SpaceX’s Starlink keep buying rides–is one of the most reliable rockets ever made.

Per the count at Wikipedia, out of 644 Falcon 9 launches through Thursday, only three have failed to deliver a payload to the right orbit; just one has ended with the loss of a rocket and payload. Only United Launch Alliance’s soon-to-be-retired Atlas V can beat that among launch vehicles with more than 100 liftoffs. The Space Shuttle, as much as I loved seeing it fly, was nowhere near that safe.

SpaceX also deserves credit for terminating a Russian monopoly on crew transport to and from the International Space Station with the Falcon 9-launched Crew Dragon capsule. NASA privatizing that role, years after SpaceX successfully took on delivering supplies to the ISS with the cargo version of Dragon pictured above, stands as an extraordinary accomplishment for the agency.

And yet the Obama administration struggled to sell that notion to Congress 14 years ago; many legislators, leery of a startup proposing to fly even cargo to the ISS, wanted NASA to give all that business to Boeing. Instead, that aerospace giant won one of two commercial-crew awards, and now Boeing’s Starliner capsule has yet be certified for crewed missions six years after Crew Dragon’s debut with astronauts strapped in.

To opine as if this history didn’t happen in public view–or to suggest that NASA could have procured itself an ISS crew system using the traditional contracting processes that yielded the Space Launch System’s years of delay and billions of dollars in cost overruns–is to exhibit a MAGA level of denial.

That doesn’t mean I have the same confidence in SpaceX developing a version of Starship’s upper stage as a Human Landing System for NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon. More than three years after Starship’s failed debut–followed by 11 more launches that have yet to reach orbit–Starship looks a little star-crossed. I imagine that people at NASA now wonder where we might be if SpaceX had proposed a simpler, smaller lander that could fly on the Falcon 9-derived Falcon Heavy system that NASA already trusts for some of its most important robotic planetary missions.

And yet with New Glenn grounded until at least the end of this year, probably longer, NASA now needs the complex Starship HLS concept to work more than ever. If you would rather not have the next words spoken from the lunar surface be in Mandarin, this should not be a confidence-inducing scenario.

But asking nuanced questions–about whether SpaceX is aiming too high with Starship, if Musk has lost his focus from spending too much time engaging with sycophantic superfans on X, or if recent minor issues with Falcon 9 launches suggest SpaceX is nearing its speed limit for aggressive iteration–clearly can’t be as exciting as posting hot takes on social media.

Hate Elon Musk as much as you want, but SpaceX denial still isn’t a good look

Last week’s catastrophic explosion of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket didn’t just incinerate that heavy-lift launch system and much of its support infrastructure at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 36; it also sparked a new round of Space Billionaire Schadenfreude.

Which is understandable. Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos may not have groveled for President Trump’s favor as obsequiously as such fellow tech CEOs as Apple’s Tim Cook or Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, but he seems more than content to be seen in Trump’s corner. And around my city, Bezos has richly earned D.C.’s contempt for his incompetent lackeys’ wanton dismantling of the Washington Post.

But Bezos is nowhere near the worst space billionaire. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars to convince voters to return the worst president to office, oversaw the DOGE ransacking of large parts of the federal government, and continues to exploit his overlordship of X to broadcast racist, misogynistic, transphobic, antisemitic and Islamophobic garbage while amplifying some of the stupidest people on the Internet.

Musk’s accumulation and abuse of economic and political power far exceeds Bezos’s and strikes me as much more dangerous. So my first reaction to Blue’s bad day, after sympathy for engineers who saw years of work go up in a fiery mushroom cloud, was that it represents an unfortunate setback to competition for Musk’s space company on multiple levels, from inflight WiFi to landing astronauts on the Moon. I wrote as much at PCMag and, in compressed form, on Bluesky.

I should have known the reaction that post would get: people bashing not only Blue Origin but also SpaceX and the entire concept of NASA inking commercial contracts to send astronauts to space. Each mishap of SpaceX’s Starship rocket–I have written up every launch of that heavy-lift vehicle in my unofficial role as a PCMag space scribe–reliably generates comments along those lines, suggesting that not only is Starship a doomed design but that SpaceX is a failing exercise in crony capitalism.

That sentiment seems to be widely felt. And it’s nonsense.

Fact: SpaceX’s partly reusable Falcon 9–the core of its launch business, the vehicle on which customers from NASA to would-be rivals to SpaceX’s Starlink keep buying rides–is one of the most reliable rockets ever made.

Per the count at Wikipedia, out of 644 Falcon 9 launches through Thursday, only three have failed to deliver a payload to the right orbit; just one has ended with the loss of a rocket and payload. Only United Launch Alliance’s soon-to-be-retired Atlas V can beat that among launch vehicles with more than 100 liftoffs. The Space Shuttle, as much as I loved seeing it fly, was nowhere near that safe.

SpaceX also deserves credit for terminating a Russian monopoly on crew transport to and from the International Space Station with the Falcon 9-launched Crew Dragon capsule. NASA privatizing that role, years after SpaceX successfully took on delivering supplies to the ISS with the cargo version of Dragon pictured above, stands as an extraordinary accomplishment for the agency.

And yet the Obama administration struggled to sell that notion to Congress 14 years ago; many legislators, leery of a startup proposing to fly even cargo to the ISS, wanted NASA to give all that business to Boeing. Instead, that aerospace giant won one of two commercial-crew awards, and now Boeing’s Starliner capsule has yet be certified for crewed missions six years after Crew Dragon’s debut with astronauts strapped in.

To opine as if this history didn’t happen in public view–or to suggest that NASA could have procured itself an ISS crew system using the traditional contracting processes that yielded the Space Launch System’s years of delay and billions of dollars in cost overruns–is to exhibit a MAGA level of denial.

That doesn’t mean I have the same confidence in SpaceX developing a version of Starship’s upper stage as a Human Landing System for NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon. More than three years after Starship’s failed debut–followed by 11 more launches that have yet to reach orbit–Starship looks a little star-crossed. I imagine that people at NASA now wonder where we might be if SpaceX had proposed a simpler, smaller lander that could fly on the Falcon 9-derived Falcon Heavy system that NASA already trusts for some of its most important robotic planetary missions.

And yet with New Glenn grounded until at least the end of this year, probably longer, NASA now needs the complex Starship HLS concept to work more than ever. If you would rather not have the next words spoken from the lunar surface be in Mandarin, this should not be a confidence-inducing scenario.

But asking nuanced questions–about whether SpaceX is aiming too high with Starship, if Musk has lost his focus from spending too much time engaging with sycophantic superfans on X, or if recent minor issues with Falcon 9 launches suggest SpaceX is nearing its speed limit for aggressive iteration–clearly can’t be as exciting as posting hot takes on social media.

AST SpaceMobile sees New Glenn setback delaying initial commercial service into 2027

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://spacenews.com/ast-spacemobile-sees-new-glenn-setback-delaying-initial-commercial-service-into-2027/

Blue Origin pledges to return to flight by year’s end
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture aims to repair the damage done last week by a launch-pad rocket explosion and return to flight before the end of the year, the company’s CEO says.

In a post to X, CEO Dave Limp laid out a schedule that was more optimistic than what was expected immediately after the fi
https://cosmiclog.com/2026/06/02/blue-origin-pledges-to-return-to-flight-by-years-end/
#GeekWire #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #Space

Blue Origin pledges to return to flight by year’s end
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture aims to repair the damage done last week by a launch-pad rocket explosion and return to flight before the end of the year, the company’s CEO says.

In a post to X, CEO Dave Limp laid out a schedule that was more optimistic than what was expected immediately after the fi
https://cosmiclog.com/2026/06/02/blue-origin-pledges-to-return-to-flight-by-years-end/
#GeekWire #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #Space

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Ground Test at Cape Canaveral

📰 Original title: Blue Origin Rocket Explodes in Fiery Setback

🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Users: It's not clickbait ✅

View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/blue-origin-new-glenn-rocket-explodes-during-ground-test-at-cape-canaveral.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world

#technology #blueorigin #rocketexplosion #newglenn

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Ground Test at Cape Canaveral

📰 Original title: Blue Origin Rocket Explodes in Fiery Setback

🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Users: It's not clickbait ✅

View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/blue-origin-new-glenn-rocket-explodes-during-ground-test-at-cape-canaveral.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world

#technology #blueorigin #rocketexplosion #newglenn

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Ground Test at Cape Canaveral

📰 Original title: Blue Origin Rocket Explodes in Fiery Setback

🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Users: It's not clickbait ✅

View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/blue-origin-new-glenn-rocket-explodes-during-ground-test-at-cape-canaveral.html?utm_source=mastodon_social&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_social

#technology #blueorigin #rocketexplosion #newglenn

New Glenn failure worsens constrained launch market

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://spacenews.com/new-glenn-failure-worsens-constrained-launch-market/

Weekly output: Pope Leo XIV on AI, American Airlines + Starlink, Taara photonics, New Glenn explosion, way less Waymo

I did not see Project Hail Mary as soon as possible, but I did see it tonight and am very glad that I did, If you haven’t watched that movie, please do so while it’s still available on a big screen at a theater near you.

Patreon readers got an extra post Saturday inspired by a different sort of larger-than-life multimedia experience, seeing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Nats Park Wednesday: a recap of the few years when I had “concert reviewer” as a low-paying, in-house side hustle at the Washington Post.

5/25/2026: Pope Leo XIV: Unchecked AI Development Risks Building a New Tower of Babel, PCMag

I spent much of Monday morning reading the pope’s encyclical about AI, then spent much of the afternoon writing a post unpacking that lengthy document for PCMag readers. Yes, Monday was a holiday, but as somebody brought up Catholic who then went to a Jesuit university, I felt like I had to do this work.

5/26/2026: American Airlines Will Switch to Starlink for Now, But Only on Airbus Narrowbodies, PCMag

American’s press release about this coming upgrade to the WiFi on part of its fleet left multiple questions unanswered, so I was glad that a publicist for AA fielded my questions as quickly as she did.

5/29/2026: Taara CEO: Our free-space optics links go where fiber won’t, Light Reading

I sat down with Mahesh Krishnaswamy, founder and CEO of this Alphabet moonshot offshoot, at the start of a busy day at Web Summit Vancouver two weeks ago. A small part of that conversation surfaced in a piece I did for PCMag about photonics that itself began with a trip to San Jose for NTT Research’s Upgrade conference there in mid April (with NTT covering my travel costs), but the rest had to wait for this piece. That, in turn,  required me to have some downtime in which to write it, and as you may have noticed May was another ridiculous month for travel.

5/29/2026: Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Explodes Spectacularly During Ground Test, PCMag

This is an outright disaster, and not just for Blue–if you want to see SpaceX get some competition for satellite-to-phone data, fast inflight WiFi and a return of American astronauts to the Moon’s surface, New Glenn would have been at least helpful if not outright essential. Blue not only has to figure out what went wrong with its heavy-lift rocket and fix that, it also has to either rebuild the launch complex mostly destroyed by this explosion or speed up construction of the second pad it has planned.

5/29/2026: Waymo Halts Freeway Operations, Stops Service in Some Cities Without Clearly Communicating What’s Up, PCMag

I had missed covering Waymo ending freeway service because that happened when I was flying home from Google I/O, but after seeing how badly that company had informed customers about that cutback in service and its suspensions of all service in some cities, I realized I had a broader piece to write.

Weekly output: Pope Leo XIV on AI, American Airlines + Starlink, Taara photonics, New Glenn explosion, way less Waymo

I did not see Project Hail Mary as soon as possible, but I did see it tonight and am very glad that I did, If you haven’t watched that movie, please do so while it’s still available on a big screen at a theater near you.

Patreon readers got an extra post Saturday inspired by a different sort of larger-than-life multimedia experience, seeing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Nats Park Wednesday: a recap of the few years when I had “concert reviewer” as a low-paying, in-house side hustle at the Washington Post.

5/25/2026: Pope Leo XIV: Unchecked AI Development Risks Building a New Tower of Babel, PCMag

I spent much of Monday morning reading the pope’s encyclical about AI, then spent much of the afternoon writing a post unpacking that lengthy document for PCMag readers. Yes, Monday was a holiday, but as somebody brought up Catholic who then went to a Jesuit university, I felt like I had to do this work.

5/26/2026: American Airlines Will Switch to Starlink for Now, But Only on Airbus Narrowbodies, PCMag

American’s press release about this coming upgrade to the WiFi on part of its fleet left multiple questions unanswered, so I was glad that a publicist for AA fielded my questions as quickly as she did.

5/29/2026: Taara CEO: Our free-space optics links go where fiber won’t, Light Reading

I sat down with Mahesh Krishnaswamy, founder and CEO of this Alphabet moonshot offshoot, at the start of a busy day at Web Summit Vancouver two weeks ago. A small part of that conversation surfaced in a piece I did for PCMag about photonics that itself began with a trip to San Jose for NTT Research’s Upgrade conference there in mid April (with NTT covering my travel costs), but the rest had to wait for this piece. That, in turn,  required me to have some downtime in which to write it, and as you may have noticed May was another ridiculous month for travel.

5/29/2026: Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Explodes Spectacularly During Ground Test, PCMag

This is an outright disaster, and not just for Blue–if you want to see SpaceX get some competition for satellite-to-phone data, fast inflight WiFi and a return of American astronauts to the Moon’s surface, New Glenn would have been at least helpful if not outright essential. Blue not only has to figure out what went wrong with its heavy-lift rocket and fix that, it also has to either rebuild the launch complex mostly destroyed by this explosion or speed up construction of the second pad it has planned.

5/29/2026: Waymo Halts Freeway Operations, Stops Service in Some Cities Without Clearly Communicating What’s Up, PCMag

I had missed covering Waymo ending freeway service because that happened when I was flying home from Google I/O, but after seeing how badly that company had informed customers about that cutback in service and its suspensions of all service in some cities, I realized I had a broader piece to write.

Fourth New Glenn Rocket Destroyed in Static Fire Test at Cape Canaveral

📰 Original title: Explosión del cuarto cohete New Glenn en la rampa de lanzamiento

🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Users: It's not clickbait ✅

View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/fourth-new-glenn-rocket-destroyed-in-static-fire-test-at-cape-canaveral.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world

#astronomy #blueorigin #newglenn #rocketexplosion

Fourth New Glenn Rocket Destroyed in Static Fire Test at Cape Canaveral

📰 Original title: Explosión del cuarto cohete New Glenn en la rampa de lanzamiento

🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Users: It's not clickbait ✅

View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/fourth-new-glenn-rocket-destroyed-in-static-fire-test-at-cape-canaveral.html?utm_source=mastodon_social&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_social

#astronomy #blueorigin #newglenn #rocketexplosion

Blue Origin’s rocket blast hits NASA and Amazon Leo
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture is still assessing the damage from this week’s catastrophic New Glenn rocket explosion on the company’s Florida launch pad, but it’s already clear that it will take months to make repairs and return to flight. So, what does that mean for Blue Origin and its c
https://cosmiclog.com/2026/05/29/blue-origins-rocket-blast-hits-nasa-and-amazon-leo/
#GeekWire #AmazonLeo #BlueOrigin #NASA #NewGlenn #Space

Blue Origin’s rocket blast hits NASA and Amazon Leo
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture is still assessing the damage from this week’s catastrophic New Glenn rocket explosion on the company’s Florida launch pad, but it’s already clear that it will take months to make repairs and return to flight. So, what does that mean for Blue Origin and its c
https://cosmiclog.com/2026/05/29/blue-origins-rocket-blast-hits-nasa-and-amazon-leo/
#GeekWire #AmazonLeo #BlueOrigin #NASA #NewGlenn #Space

Blue Origin'in New Glenn roketi, fırlatma rampasında motor testi sırasında patladı! Yaralanan yok. NASA'nın Artemis programı risk altında. Uzay keşfinde yeni bir engel mi?

🚩 #Uzay #Roket #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #NASA #Artemis

New Glenn rocket explodes on launch pad during test
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded today during a hotfire test on its launch pad in Florida — dealing heavy damage to the pad, and dealing a heavy blow to Jeff Bezos’ space venture.

“All personnel are accounted for and safe,” Bezos said in a post to X. “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re alrea
https://cosmiclog.com/2026/05/28/new-glenn-rocket-explodes-on-launch-pad-during-test/
#GeekWire #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #Space

New Glenn rocket explodes on launch pad during test
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded today during a hotfire test on its launch pad in Florida — dealing heavy damage to the pad, and dealing a heavy blow to Jeff Bezos’ space venture.

“All personnel are accounted for and safe,” Bezos said in a post to X. “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re alrea
https://cosmiclog.com/2026/05/28/new-glenn-rocket-explodes-on-launch-pad-during-test/
#GeekWire #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #Space

The most spectacular rocket explosion since N1 just happened in Florida

https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/05/blue-origins-new-glenn-rocket-just-exploded-during-a-static-fire-test/

#HackerNews #rocketexplosion #Florida #space #news #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #N1