Key Points:
- Both SpaceX and Blue Origin are fascinated by space exploration. They are revolutionizing the aerospace industry, hoping to achieve commercial success in space tourism and the Internet market.
- Blue Origin sold a ticket to space on their New Shepard suborbital rocket for $28 million in July 2021. They also claim to have sold tickets worth $100 million for future travels. SpaceX has the same strategy. They plan to charge $55 million per ticket to the International Space Station (ISS).
- Starlink, an internet provider, and SpaceX belong to the same person, Elon Musk, today’s world’s wealthiest man.
- Blue Origin and Amazon were founded by Jeff Bezos, the world’s second-richest man.
Blue Origin and SpaceX are the new rivals in commercial space exploration after the Soviet Union and the United States. But will either of them dominate the galaxy?
No doubt that the space economy has become very profitable, and with the rise of private companies in the space industry, we may witness exponential growth in the near future. But even so, the Blue Origin vs. SpaceX race to outdo each other may be the new normal!
Let’s find out more about these billionaire space fans.
Blue Origin vs. SpaceX Full Comparison
Elon Musk is the mastermind behind SpaceX
©Rokas Tenys/Shutterstock.com
SpaceX and Blue Origin were initiated almost at the same time by eccentric billionaire geniuses.
Today, these companies are renowned leaders and fierce rivals in the private spacecraft sector. However, they have interesting similarities.
Enabling Satellite Internet Constellation
SpaceX has been working with Starlink to provide low-cost internet services. They have already installed 2,000 satellites and plan to launch 12,000 more. Coincidentally, these two companies (Starlink and SpaceX) belong to the same person, Elon Musk, today’s world’s wealthiest man.
Blue Origin, on the other hand, is collaborating with Amazon to deliver 732 Kuiper satellites within 12 missions (i.e., 61 satellites per mission). Amazon aims to launch 3,236 satellites which seems to be a well-strategized plan to take over Starlink’s internet venture. Interestingly, the two companies (Blue Origin and Amazon) were founded by Jeff Bezos, the world’s second richest man.
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and Blue Origin.
©lev radin/Shutterstock.com
Common Interests
Both SpaceX and Blue Origin are fascinated by space exploration. They are revolutionizing the aerospace industry, hoping to achieve commercial success in space tourism and the Internet market.
These companies aim to revolutionize space travel by embracing reusability. Hence their continuous development of reusable rockets – a concept that other players in the industry have replicated.
SpaceX and Blue Origin are historical rivals operating in the same industry but with diverse goals. Thankfully, their rivalry has helped accelerate space industrialization and does not prevent them from focusing and strategizing on their goals.
The first stage of New Glenn will use seven B4E engines like the one pictured.
©N2e, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons – License
Blue Origin vs SpaceX: Side-by-Side Comparison
As their fight for space exploration continues to heat up, these companies are preparing to launch their largest rockets!
A look into what to expect from Blue Origin’s and SpaceX’s Heaviest Rockets
| New Glenn | Starship | |
|---|---|---|
| Created By | Blue Origin | SpaceX |
| What Type of a Rocket is It? | It is a heavy-lift launch vehicle bearing the same name as John Glenn (NASA astronaut) – It is suited for payloads and space travels | It is a two-stage super-heavy-lift launch system suited for payloads and rideshare missions |
| When Did Design Work Commence? | 2012 | 2005 |
| What Is It Designed for? | To regularly carry people and payloads to Earth orbit and beyond. | To Ferry passengers and cargo to planetary destinations, other destinations in the inner solar system, and on Earth. |
| Specs | It features a 7-meter fairing, flight controls (4 forward fins), strakes, and actuated landing legs. It is designed to deliver over 13mt to orbit and 45mt to low Earth. It measures 189ft tall with a 23ft diameter. | Comes with 4 variants (a lunar tanker, cargo, crew, and propellant tanker). It is 170ft tall and 30ft in diameter. It has a propellant capacity of 1,200t and the capacity to carry 100mt to low earth orbit. |
| Engines | Uses BE-4, the most powerful liquid natural gas/ liquid oxygen engine. | It is powered by a Raptor engine using liquid methane and liquid oxygen. |
| Production Cost | No less than $2.5 billion. | Approximately $5 billion. |
| Launch Date | The debut launch is planned to occur in 2023 | Flight testing took place on 11th July 2022, but the rocket exploded. The company is expected to address the issue and work towards ensuring a successful orbital flight. |
SpaceX vs Blue Origin: What’s the Difference?
These two companies have lots of similarities, but they also differ significantly.
1. Motive
SpaceX’s grand ambition is to settle humankind on the red planet. They believe that making humanity a multi-planetary species will help save the human race if something ever happens to the Earth. On the contrary, Blue Origin envisions a future where people can live and work in space – a move they consider beneficial for our home planet (Earth).
2. Achievements
SpaceX is operating in a more favorable state. Its rockets (Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy) and Dragon spacecraft are proven hardware that the company has already launched and commercialized. And today, they are building a more advanced and heavy machine- the Starship.
Needless to say, Blue Origin is equally capable of matching the competition. Their first commercialized flight, the New Shepard suborbital rocket, is operational. And they are developing a more powerful flight, “New Glenn,” expected to launch next year (2023).
SpaceX’s vehicles have achieved a top altitude of 363 miles at a speed of 24,600mph, while the highest attained by Blue Origin’s spacecraft is 62.4 miles at a speed of 2,234 mph.
3. Approach to Space Tourism
Blue Origin sold a ticket to space on their New Shepard suborbital rocket for $28 million in July 2021. They also claim to have sold tickets worth $100 million for future travels. SpaceX has the same strategy. They plan to charge $55 million per ticket to the International Space Station (ISS).
4. Business Strategy
SpaceX is commercializing space by expanding exploration capacities and communication technologies to reduce the cost of touring beyond the Earth’s Orbit. Cost reduction is also Blue Origin’s main focus. However, their primary approach is to industrialize outer space and build a road to pave the way for future generations to tap into suborbital opportunities.
©iStock.com/Robert Michaud
SpaceX vs Blue Origin: Must-Know Facts
Facts about SpaceX
- SpaceX is an American company in the spacecraft manufacturing, space launch, and satellite communication business.
- Its formation took place in 2002
- Its headquarters is in Hawthorne, California.
- It has four launch facilities: Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex, Brownsville South Texas Launch Site, Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex, and Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex.
- It is the first private spaceflight company to launch its workhorse Dragon Cargo spacecraft to the ISS.
- It has launched three vehicles (Falcon 1, Falcon 9, and Falcon Heavy) and built four rocket engines (Raptor, Merlin, Kestrel, and Draco).
- The company made its first successful launch in December 2015.
- SpaceX founded Starlink, a satellite internet constellation that provides internet access to 34 states.
- Its founder Elon Musk is also the CEO of Tesla Motors and a co-founder of PayPal.
Facts About Blue Origin
- Founded in 2000, Blue Origin is an American private suborbital spaceflight service provider and aerospace manufacturer.
- The company has its headquarters in Kent, Washington.
- It has built four vehicles (Charon, Goddard, PM2, and New Shepard). However, only New Shepard managed to reach suborbital space.
- It made its first human space travel in July 2021.
- Its technologies aim to develop Vertical Takeoff and Vertical Landing space vehicles.
- Its founder is also Amazon’s former CEO, Jeff Bezos.
Are You Excited about Space Habitation?
SpaceX’s grand ambition is to settle humankind on the red planet.
©joshimerbin/Shutterstock.com
Space exploration is a costly affair but very exciting. However, weighing the pros and cons of space habitation before taking a bold move like Blue Origin and SpaceX could be wise. So, as we look at the possibilities of saving planet Earth by commercializing space, we need to assess how every action impacts the entire universe.
SpaceX Starship Fails to Take Flight
On April 17th, 2023, SpaceX postponed the launch of its latest Starship rocket due to an issue with the first-stage booster. Elon Musk’s SpaceX had to cancel the much-awaited first uncrewed test flight of the spacecraft, delaying its mission to enter space.
SpaceX, a company specializing in commercial spaceflight, canceled its initial test flight of the Starship rocket, a massive stainless-steel spacecraft designed to transport humans to destinations like the moon and Mars in the future.
The launch was scheduled to occur on Monday morning in South Texas within a 150-minute time frame. However, around 10 minutes before the anticipated launch, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, announced on Twitter that a frozen valve issue had made the mission impractical.
Up Next…
- Jeff Bezos – Net Worth, Biography, History, and More: If you want to know more about the Amazon and Blue Origin founder, you should read this informative article.
- Watch Elon Musk Discuss Aliens, The Great Filter, and Colonizing Space: Aliens and space colonization is not science fiction to Elon Musk. Watch him elaborate!
- NASA’s Space Launch System: Specs, Size, History, and More: You may want to read about the original space exploration team with the right stuff – NASA. They aren’t done yet!
The image featured at the top of this post is ©iStock.com/Robert Michaud.
