It's a success! Blue Origin conducts first hot-fire test of BE-4 engine

[longknife]

Means NASA won’t have to rely on Russian boosters to get American zustronauts to the International Space Station anymore.

It is also notable that the engine was built with mostly private money and no direct cost to taxpayers.

On Wednesday, the company successfully fired up the BE-4 at 50-percent power for three seconds at a facility in West Texas.

It's a major stepping stone in the development of the engine, which is expected to play a key role in Blue Origin's economic future.

Full article @ It's a success! Blue Origin conducts first hot-fire test of BE-4 engine

 

[WinterBorn]

Very cool! Good post!

 

[ThunderKiss1965]

Private Industry is the key to space exploration not massively bloated government run agencies,

 

[ScienceRocks]

Nice progress!

I'll agree that the private sector has its place and one day could bring civilization to the moon and mars. But, science can only be done by agencies like nasa.

 

[CarlinAnnArbor]

Nice progress!

I'll agree that the private sector has its place and one day could bring civilization to the moon and mars. But, science can only be done by agencies like nasa.

Every day I thank the government for Thomas Edison and Henry Ford and the Wright Bros. .... I thank the government back then for having the sense to STAY THE HELL AWAY!

 

[TheOldSchool]

Private Industry is the key to space exploration not massively bloated government run agencies,

Private industry is key to monetizing space. Not space exploration.

 

[ThunderKiss1965]

Private Industry is the key to space exploration not massively bloated government run agencies,

Private industry is key to monetizing space. Not space exploration.

The space race of the 60's and 70's are long gone. Exploration will be done by the private sector to exploit the resources of space. Government agencies are inefficient and criminally expensive.

 

[ScienceRocks]

I think we should give nasa about 40 billion per year to do science and I am fully supportive of spacex and blue origin doing the heavy lifting.

Nasa is our agency to get science done. If you disagree then explain to me how else we can continue to lead in science? We simply couldn't.

Lets not be extremist...Lets have some middle ground.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Private Industry is the key to space exploration not massively bloated government run agencies,

Half true. The purely informational exploration missions will still often requre NASA involvement and funding. On the flip side of that, it will be interesting if prospecting on the Moon becomes profitable, or on asteroids/comets

 

[Old Rocks]

Nice progress!

I'll agree that the private sector has its place and one day could bring civilization to the moon and mars. But, science can only be done by agencies like nasa.

Every day I thank the government for Thomas Edison and Henry Ford and the Wright Bros. .... I thank the government back then for having the sense to STAY THE HELL AWAY!

Every day I thank the government for projects like the Corps of Discovery, the Transcontinental Railway, the great river dams that powered the aluminum production for the 17's, 24's, and 29's of WW2. Every day I thank the government for the funding of the initial projects that gave us the internet. Every day I thank the government for the Interstate System that makes it so easy to travel anywhere in the US. Every day I thank the government for the warning systems that gives us advance warnings for tornadoes and hurricanes and saves thousands of lives on a yearly basis. Yes, we citizens of the United States have achieved great things through the use of our government. For it is our government. We, the people. That you 'Conservatives' wish to opt out and claim it is some foreign entity is simply an indication of your immaturity and stupidity.

Yes, I applaud the efforts of the various people and groups that are developing their own technology for the profiting from the resources outside of our planet. But the blue sky research, where there will be some failures because we are in unknown territory, is where our government comes in. Private enterprise has a limited amount of failure it can absorb, the government can afford to try many more times than can private enterprise. And when they get it right, private enterprise can move in and exploit the new and better technology for the benefit of all of us. However, the people making the profit must realize they did not build that. We all built that to the point where it could work on a profitable basis, and then handed it off to people that we hope can handle it in that manner.

 

[Old Rocks]

Private Industry is the key to space exploration not massively bloated government run agencies,

Private industry is key to monetizing space. Not space exploration.

Government is the key to the exploration that allows the monetizing of space.

 

[fncceo]

But, science can only be done by agencies like nasa.