This is not a NASA Website. You might learn something. It's YOUR space agency. Get involved. Take it back. Make it work - for YOU.
Commercialization

Blue Origin Completes Suborbital Crew Capsule Escape System Test

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
October 22, 2012
Filed under ,

Photos and Video: Blue Origin Suborbital Crew Capsule Escape System Test
“Blue Origin conducted a successful Pad Escape test last week at its West Texas launch site, firing its pusher escape motor and launching a full-scale suborbital Crew Capsule from a launch vehicle simulator. The Crew Capsule traveled to an altitude of 2,307 feet under active thrust vector control before descending safely by parachute to a soft landing 1,630 feet downrange.”

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

8 responses to “Blue Origin Completes Suborbital Crew Capsule Escape System Test”

  1. Anonymous says:
    0
    0

    What a ride!

  2. Ralphy999 says:
    0
    0

    You know I never paid much attention to Blue Origin figuring it was a hobby of billionaire that would soon lose interest with all the expensive testing required. I’m beginning to change my mind.

    Blue Origin is also tesing a new rocket engine at Stennis that is using liquid oxygen and hydrogen! There are some nations that have rocket programs and don’t even yet know how to build such an engine. In fact, I think such an engine is ITAR protected. I am somewhat suprised that Blue Origin is being allowed by NASA to use Stennis. I guess it means that Blue Origin is very serious with their program.

    Jeff Bezos, the founder of AMAZON.com , is funding the program and it is his ranch in West Texas that is being used by the sub orbiter for launch. Jeff also has an orbiter planned that is resusable and will glid home like the Space Shuttle. It is a bi-conic capsule with one side flat that will make the bi-conic capsule a liftng body. Flaps will pop out in order to steer the glide. Bezos is really serious about this although his is the most secret, double probation, organization about it. 

    I met a lady in Houston a few years ago who knew Jeff when he was a kid and was a member of her son’s junior(Pop Warner?) football team. She said he loved to hit. When ever I see Jeff Bezos’ picture now days, it is kind of hard for me to imagine Jeff as a rock ’em, sock ’em football player but looks can be deceiving, eh?

  3. John Gardi says:
    0
    0

    Folks:

    Looks like solid motors to me. Will they use them in smaller clusters for retro burns on the way down too or can they just drop to terminal velocity? Hope they choose liquid fuel abort thrusters for their orbital craft like SpaceX.

    tinker

    • Chris Holmes says:
      0
      0

      Because Blue Origin called it a “motor,” and the way the video looks, I think your suspicions are right- that was a solid fuel burn.  “Active thrust vector” would seem to indicate some type of gimbal system, correct? 

      • OpenTrackRacer says:
        0
        0

         It does look and sound like they’re using solid rocket motors.  Active thrust vectoring could be gimbals or variable geometry nozzles or simply paddles in the flow path.

  4. dogstar29 says:
    0
    0

    Solid motors can be vectored by cold gas injection or by actuators moving nozzles on flexible seals, or, like the Orion, by valves diverting the hot solid fuel exhaust through auxilliary nozzles. The control strategy for the Dragon is unclear to me, but I assume it uses thrust modulation of the widely spaced abort thrusters. I agree with Tinker that liquid propellants are ultimately a better choice where any sort of control is needed.

    • John Gardi says:
      0
      0

       V4:

      However they controlled their thrusters, it worked. It seemed like a controlled cant to fly down range of the launch stand and then shot up straight as a arrow. For sub-orbital flights the solids should be fine for abort scenarios. Not enough heat on the way down to accidentally ignite the solid rocket motors I don’t think. Makes me wonder whether the real plan is to land the capsule with the booster using powered landings and only use the abort motors and parachute in an emergency. That would make this sub-orbital craft simpler to refurbish and refly.

      tinker

    • hikingmike says:
      0
      0

      Woooo, I don’t think any liquids would go like that thing did 🙂 That said I agree about the liquids and especially if you’re planning multi-purpose use of the abort thrusters, say for extra push or landing when they’re not used for their abort purpose. Liquid propulsion is best there.

      Any chance it’s using hybrid rockets though? That could make a lot of sense for this.