It’s Musk vs. Bezos in an epic Battle of the Billionaires. The competition between Musk and Bezos has been public and sometimes personal, with both taking jabs at each other’s technologies and strategies. The Musk-Bezos rivalry has not only pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in private spaceflight but has also revitalized public interest in space. Their companies have made space more accessible, reduced costs through reusability, and set ambitious goals for humanity’s future in space. While SpaceX has the lead in terms of operational experience and public visibility, Blue Origin’s methodical approach might yet prove equally impactful in the long term.
Elon Musk: The founder of SpaceX, is known for his audacious goals, including colonizing Mars. His vision is to make humanity a multi-planetary species, reducing the risks associated with being confined to a single planet. Musk’s public persona is as much about his X (formally Twitter) spats as it is about his scientific aspirations, often engaging directly with the public to share updates and insights.
Jeff Bezos: The Founder of Blue Origin, pursues a vision of space that focuses on sustainability and long-term human presence, advocating for millions of people living in space habitats. His approach is quieter, focusing more on the methodical development of technology rather than public spectacle. Bezos has articulated a dream of moving heavy industry off Earth to preserve our planet’s environment.
In the annals of space exploration, a new saga has unfolded, starring two of the world’s richest and most influential entrepreneurs. Their competition transcends business, delving into the realm of ambition, innovation, and the ultimate frontier—space. Here, we compare their newest behemoth rockets, New Glenn and Starship.
Specifications:
Blue Origin’s New Glenn: Standing at 98 meters (322 feet) tall, New Glenn is a heavy-lift orbital rocket designed with a 7-meter diameter payload fairing. It boasts a payload capacity of up to 45 metric tons to low Earth orbit (LEO) and 13 metric tons to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) when configured for reusability. The rocket’s first stage is powered by seven BE-4 engines, which use liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas, while the expendable second stage employs two BE-3U engines fueled by liquid oxygen and hydrogen.
SpaceX’s Starship (Flight Test 7): The Starship, particularly in its seventh flight test, is an even more ambitious project, standing at 121 meters (397 feet) when fully stacked with its Super Heavy booster. It’s designed to be fully reusable, with a payload capacity of up to 150 metric tons to LEO and potentially the same to GTO with refueling in orbit. Starship uses 33 Raptor engines in its Super Heavy first stage and six in the Starship upper stage, all running on liquid methane and liquid oxygen, highlighting a significant difference in fuel choice and engine count compared to New Glenn.
Payloads and Mission Objectives:
New Glenn: Its inaugural mission, NG-1, scheduled for the early hours of January 10, 2025, will not carry a customer payload but will instead feature Blue Origin’s Blue Ring spacecraft, aimed at demonstrating capabilities for hosting and deploying multiple payloads. This mission will also attempt the first stage’s vertical landing on a sea-based platform named Jacklyn, showcasing its reusability credentials.
Starship Flight Test 7: Scheduled for the afternoon of the same day, but with backup possibilities through January 16th. This flight aims to deploy its first payload, 10 Starlink simulators that will not go into orbit, illustrating Starship’s role in SpaceX’s satellite constellation project. Another significant objective is to catch the Super Heavy booster using the launch tower’s arms, a maneuver SpaceX calls “Mechazilla,” to further prove the concept of rapid reusability. This test also includes new upgrades to the Starship’s design, like increased propellant volume and new heat shields. Flight 7 will also include for the first time one flight proven Raptor rocket engine from IFT-5, engine 314 will be reused for IFT-7 on Super Heavy booster 14.
Launch Date and Time:
Both rockets are set to launch on January 10, 2025, with New Glenn’s window opening at midnight to 3:00 AM EST and Starship’s window from 4:00 PM to 5:37 PM CST. The simultaneous scheduling underscores a pivotal moment in commercial spaceflight, presenting a direct comparison of capabilities and technological maturity. All rocket launch times are subject to numerous variables that may cause their launch times to be charged, delayed or scrubbed.
Significance:
New Glenn: This launch marks Blue Origin’s entry into the heavy-lift market, directly competing with established players like SpaceX and United Launch Alliance. Success here could position Blue Origin as a formidable competitor in both government and commercial space missions, potentially leading to reduced launch costs due to its reusability.
Starship Flight Test 7: For SpaceX, this test flight is crucial for refining the vehicle’s operational capabilities, especially concerning payload deployment and booster recovery. The success of these elements could significantly advance SpaceX’s timeline for lunar and Mars missions, supporting NASA’s Artemis program and Musk’s vision of Mars colonization.
The launches of New Glenn and Starship Flight 7 are not just about the technology but also about what they symbolize: a new era of space travel where private companies lead the charge to make space more accessible. As the billionaires battle for space, the outcomes of these missions will inform future designs, strategies, and perhaps even the economics of space travel, setting the stage for the next chapters in human space exploration.
