02-28-2023, 03:59 AM
gadje wrote:
what happened to Blue Origin or Orbital Sciences
I follow this stuff quite closely. Currently only SpaceX has the ability to launch crews with impunity in their Dragon capsule.
The Boeing Starliner has finally completed its tests including a successful crewed mission to the International Space Station and they should be able to fly more regularly, but at 2x-3x the cost of SpaceX.
Blue Origin's New Shepard craft is a toy... and can't reach the altitude of the ISS. Their very large New Glenn rocket is nowhere to be seen, maybe we'll see a test launch next year or after... but it's not reusable like SpaceX planned Mars rocket "Starship" and its heavy lift booster vehicle, which may see a test launch in March.
Blue Origin is also supplying engines for United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Vulcan rocket - which I believe has as one of its expected payloads the Sierra Space's Dreamchaser manned spaceplane.
Orbital Science has been acquired by Northrop Grumman, owned by Lockheed Martin, who also owns a part of ULA. I think they have long since ditched manned craft; while they for a time ran resupply missions to the ISS I think they're now looking at space habitation modules.