Let's talk about the exciting, yet challenging, prospect of recovering the New Glenn rocket's second launch. It's a bold move, and one that has sparked curiosity and debate among space enthusiasts.
When we look at the available comparisons, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket comes to mind. Their journey to mastering powered descents and ocean landings was a rocky one, with failures and successes along the way. It took them 23 flights to achieve their first successful drone ship landing, and that's with the benefit of learning from their mistakes. Blue Origin's engineers, who have worked at SpaceX, have a head start, but the task remains incredibly difficult, especially for a new rocket's second flight.
Now, let's talk about the financial side of things. For the New Glenn program to be financially viable, it needs to demonstrate rocket reuse quickly. The first stage of the New Glenn rocket costs a whopping $100 million or more to manufacture, and it's designed with rapid reusability in mind. However, these benefits are only realized if the rocket lands safely and in good condition.
Blue Origin has ambitious plans. They aim to refurbish the "Never Tell Me The Odds" booster for the third flight of the New Glenn program, which is expected to launch the highly anticipated Mark 1 lunar lander. Theoretically, this refurbishment could be done within 90 days, but it's a tight timeline. SpaceX's experience with their first Falcon 9 booster landing shows that it's not an easy task. Their first re-fly required over a year of analysis and refurbishment.
So, while we can't put exact odds on this mission, we can appreciate the drive and ambition Blue Origin brings to the space industry. It's an exciting time, and we can't wait to see how this story unfolds.
