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Jeff Bezos' Rocket Company Will Send Tourists To Space this weekend · Elon Musk Podcast

• 0:02
  Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk podcast.
• 0:05
  This is a show where we discuss. The critical.
• 0:07
  Crossroads. The shape SpaceX.
• 0:09
  Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink and I'm your host Will
• 0:15
  Walden. Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin is set
• 0:18
  to resume human space flights of its New Shepherd rocket on May
• 0:22
  19th, marking a return to suborbital space travel after
• 0:26
  nearly two years. In this upcoming launch,
• 0:28
  designated NS-25 will lift off from West TX and carry a six
• 0:33
  person crew. The event shows the Blue
• 0:36
  Origins. Renewed engagement of space
• 0:37
  tourism and research missions followed a series of setbacks
• 0:41
  and rigorous safety reassessments.
• 0:43
  Now the crew for NS-25 mission includes several notable figures
• 0:47
  such as Ed Dwight, who was the first black astronaut candidate
• 0:50
  in the US. Despite his historical
• 0:52
  significance, this flight will be Dwight's first journey into
• 0:56
  space. Other crew members include Mason
• 0:59
  Angel, an investor with a focus on space and defense industries,
• 1:03
  and several other citizens with diverse backgrounds ranging from
• 1:06
  entrepreneurs to retired professionals.
• 1:10
  This marks the 7th launch of a crewed mission for the New
• 1:14
  Shepherd vehicle and comes after a pause in operations due to a
• 1:18
  mishap during an uncrewed flight in 2022.
• 1:22
  The anomaly occurred approximately a minute after
• 1:24
  launch, leading to the loss of the rocket booster.
• 1:27
  Though the capsule safely parachuted back to Earth, the
• 1:31
  2022 incident necessitated A thorough investigation by Blue
• 1:35
  Origin under the oversight of the FAA.
• 1:38
  Findings from March 2023 revealed that the mishap was
• 1:41
  caused by excessive temperatures that led to catastrophic thermal
• 1:45
  damage to the BE 3:00 PM engines nozzle.
• 1:50
  Now, after an extensive review and the implementation of 21
• 1:54
  corrective actions as mandated by the FAA, Blue Origin managed
• 1:58
  to resume flights with a successful uncrewed mission in
• 2:01
  December of 2023. This mission carried 33 payloads
• 2:05
  to suborbital space and was crucial in providing the
• 2:08
  vehicle's readiness for renewed passenger flights.
• 2:11
  Now, Blue Origins Operational Pause allowed competitors like
• 2:14
  Virgin Galactic to advance their commercial Space Flight efforts
• 2:18
  unimpeded. Origin Galactic has continued to
• 2:21
  launch successful flights, showing that there's a
• 2:23
  competitive nature going on right now with space tourism.
• 2:27
  Blue Origins New Shepherd rocket is fully reusable, designed for
• 2:31
  both cargo and crude mission. The rocket and its capsule are
• 2:34
  capable of reaching the Carmen line.
• 2:37
  It's about 62 miles above the Earth.
• 2:39
  It provides passengers with brief periods of weightlessness
• 2:43
  and stunning views of the planet against the backdrop of space.
• 2:46
  You can see the curve of the planet Earth from up there now.
• 2:50
  The flight profile for New Shepherd missions is concise.
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  The total experience lasting is approximately 11 minutes from
• 2:57
  launch to capsule touchdown. This quick journey provides an
• 3:00
  intense but fleeting astronaut experience to his passengers.
• 3:04
  NS-25's upcoming flight will contribute to Blue Origins
• 3:07
  ongoing efforts to expand its role in space tourism alongside
• 3:11
  other major projects like the development of the new Glen
• 3:13
  Heavy lift rocket, the Blue Moon lunar Lander, and the Blue Ring
• 3:17
  maneuverable spacecraft. And the success of Blue Origins
• 3:20
  missions has broader implications for the commercial
• 3:22
  spaceflight industry, showing that they are reliable and
• 3:27
  there's safety in space travel going forward.
• 3:31
  And each successful mission bolsters the company's
• 3:33
  reputation and the overall feasibility of commercial space
• 3:36
  tourism. Now, the return of crude flight
• 3:39
  is particularly significant for Blue Origin, given the high
• 3:43
  profile nature of past passengers such as Jeff Bezos
• 3:47
  himself, William Shatner and Michael Strahan.
• 3:50
  Now these missions have not only provided remarkable experiences,
• 3:54
  but have also served as high visibility endorsements of
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  commercial space travel. Now, Blue Origin has also been a
• 4:01
  part of significant research missions contributing to
• 4:04
  scientific studies and experiments in a microgravity
• 4:06
  environment. These missions provide valuable
• 4:09
  data that can be used to enhance our understanding of space and
• 4:12
  improve future technologies. The pricing strategy for Blue
• 4:15
  Origin space flights remains particularly opaque.
• 4:18
  Though the auction for the first ever ticket reached $28 million.
• 4:23
  This high figure reflects both the novelty of the experience
• 4:26
  and limited availability of seats, which may decrease with
• 4:29
  increased flight frequency, and also competition from places
• 4:34
  like Virgin Galactic and now with SpaceX, you can do a full
• 4:38
  flight on a SpaceX rocket and a Crew Dragon capsule, where you
• 4:43
  will orbit the Earth numerous times.
• 4:46
  And as Blue Origin prepares for the NS-25 mission, the success
• 4:50
  of this mission is crucial. That's just for Blue Origin, but
• 4:53
  also for validating the safety measures implemented after the
• 4:57
  2022 anomaly. Following the NS-25, Blue Origin
• 5:01
  has plans for another suborbital tourism mission, indicating a
• 5:04
  regular more flights in the future.
• 5:08
  Now this is pivotal for maintaining momentum and public
• 5:11
  interest in space tourism, and the competitive dynamics between
• 5:15
  Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and also SpaceX are likely to
• 5:18
  intensify as all these companies streamline their operations and
• 5:22
  enhance their offerings. These rivalries are expected to
• 5:25
  drive innovations and possibly reduce costs, making space
• 5:29
  tourism more accessible to a broader audience.
• 5:32
  And with NS-25 mission from Blue Origin, they aim to reclaim its
• 5:36
  position in a space tourism market Has demonstrated its
• 5:39
  commitment to safety and innovation.
• 5:41
  This flight is not just a test of technological reliability,
• 5:45
  but also an opportunity to inspire the public and expand
• 5:48
  interest in space exploration. Hey, thank you so much for
• 5:56
  listening today. I really do appreciate your
• 5:59
  support if. You could.
• 5:59
  Take a second and hit the subscribe or the follow button
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  on whatever podcast platform that you're listening on right
• 6:05
  now. I greatly appreciate it.
• 6:07
  It helps out the show tremendously and you'll never
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  miss an episode. And each episode.
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  Is about 10 minutes or less to get you caught up quickly.
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  And please, if you want to support the show even more, go
• 6:18
  to patreon.com slash. Stage 0.
• 6:23
  And please take care of yourselves and each other and
• 6:25
  I'll see you tomorrow.