Thanks for the info! So, mass and dimensions simulated for ground
handling practice, but literal boilerplate, so not much flight-article
manufacturing practice in this piece. And the extremely detailed
exterior that fooled me on that point? Looks to me that probably
significant paintwork expense comes under "marketing". Doesn't
invalidate my point, but does reduce its scope.
Interesting question. Is the marketing expense aimed at customers, or
investors? (Or both.) Have there been any signs Bezos might be looking
to pull some private-investment OPM into Blue Origin?
Henry
On 11/10/2021 10:00 AM, J. Cameron Cooper wrote:
While I believe they have some stuff made with real tooling, this in particular is a steel boilerplate version made by a local steel fab shop. It's destined for ground handling tests and practice: https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1457793865100902402?s=20 <https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1457793865100902402?s=20>
On Wed, Nov 10, 2021 at 10:15 AM Henry Vanderbilt <hvanderbilt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:hvanderbilt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
I haven't been following New Glenn closely - I've had distractions
- but it seems obvious to me that IF this "dummy version" was
built using some of the same manufacturing processes and tooling
as the flight vehicle - I'd guess so from the photo but don't know
- it's a very useful workup for the production team, a chance to
practice and get up to speed on building the main structures where
minor mistakes are not critical and easily corrected.
And if as seems very likely it has been built to the same
dimensions and specs as the flight first stage (and presumably had
mass added to accurately simulate the missing bits, engines, tanks
etc) then it's also a very useful workout/debugger tool for the
(necessarily substantial) ground handling arrangements for the
flight boosters, again with much less worry about making and
correcting minor mistakes.
IOW, they only have to learn to avoid ONE flight-booster
destroying error with this test piece for it to more than pay for
itself. Not so?
Henry
On 11/10/2021 4:45 AM, roxanna Mason wrote:
It's a moral booster not rocket,
Otherwise a waste of money,
Ken
On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 6:53 PM Anthony Cesaroni
<anthony@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:anthony@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
https://www.geekwire.com/2021/blue-origin-practices-dummy-version-new-glenn-orbital-rocket-florida/
<https://www.geekwire.com/2021/blue-origin-practices-dummy-version-new-glenn-orbital-rocket-florida/>
Anthony J. Cesaroni
President/CEO
Cesaroni Technology/Cesaroni Aerospace
http://www.cesaronitech.com/ ;<http://www.cesaronitech.com/>
(941) 360-3100 x1004 Sarasota
(905) 887-2370 x222 Toronto
--
J Cameron Cooper
jccooper@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:jccooper@xxxxxxxxx>
jccooper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:anything@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>