Blue Origin clue?

Finally, something about the mysterious Blue Origin spacecraft design?
http://www.onorbit.com/node/2904
Sure doesn't look like the thing they rolled out a few years back:
http://kenpresley.wordpress.com/2007...ddard-vehicle/

Pat

Pat Flannery wrote:
Finally, something about the mysterious Blue Origin spacecraft design?
http://www.onorbit.com/node/2904

So, landing, under power, on a floating platform at sea. OK. Isn't
that the sort of thing that is supposed to make Navy Aviators so
special vs other pilots because it is so difficult? (And they aren't
trying to land vertically)

I see where landing at sea has some nice properties as it means the
booster can follow a simple ballistic trajectory - no wings for
flyback or any of that - but on a floating platform at sea. Sure, oil
rigs are pretty steady, but just how deep is the water going to be and
how steady the platform?

Then again, Truax was thinking of having SeaDragon's stage(s) just
drop into the ocean under a drag streamer a la a low-end model rocket
right?

rick jones
--
Process shall set you free from the need for rational thought.
these opinions are mine, all mine; HP might not want them anyway...
feel free to post, OR email to rick.jones2 in hp.com but NOT BOTH...

On 1/31/2011 1:35 PM, Rick Jones wrote:
I see where landing at sea has some nice properties as it means the
booster can follow a simple ballistic trajectory - no wings for
flyback or any of that - but on a floating platform at sea. Sure, oil
rigs are pretty steady, but just how deep is the water going to be and
how steady the platform?

Then again, Truax was thinking of having SeaDragon's stage(s) just
drop into the ocean under a drag streamer a la a low-end model rocket
right?

The thing I see is that if the Goddard Spacecraft they rolled out is
supposed to be the thing with an escape tower atop it shown in the
patent, then this whole launch vehicle is going to be around the size of
a Saturn V.
Even NASA was challenged by the idea of trying to land the S1-C stage
under parachutes, much less having it come down tail-first under rocket
braking.

Pat