Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin plans to significantly increase launch rates for its New Shepard suborbital vehicle, and is exploring the possibility of adding new spaceports, according to Monday reports.
Blue Origin plans to increase its launch cadence to weekly flights in the next couple of years as it adds vehicles to its fleet in response to growing demand, Phil Joyce, senior vice president for New Shepard at Blue Origin, said at the Global Spaceport Alliance's International Spaceport Forum on Sunday.
"The demand is really strong," Joyce said. "We're continuing to see sales every week, every day. Blue Origin's backlog currently stretches more than a year."
Blue Origin is now launching almost every month. It has seven New Shepard flights under its belt this year. The company's goal is to scale up to "approximately weekly" launches. Plans call for adding three new New Shepard vehicles starting next year. Blue Origin currently has two vehicles flying crewed missions in service.
However, weekly flights would "max out" capacity at Blue Origin's Launch Site One facility in West Texas, according to Joyce. Blue Origin has weighed expanding its current site or looking elsewhere, but is leaning toward a new launch site.
"We think elsewhere makes sense from a number of perspectives," he said. Blue Origin did not rule out a U.S. location, but is primarily looking internationally.
"We think there's possibilities elsewhere around the globe. We think it makes sense to provide this service elsewhere," Joyce said, noting that many of its ultrahigh net worth customers have to travel to the U.S. for their flights.
Blue Origin is looking for a partner to help develop a new launch site and invest in the project, according to Joyce.
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Elsewhere, a U.S. district court judge on Sept. 15 rejected an environmental lawsuit brought against the Federal Aviation Administration's 2022 approval for expanded rocket launch operations by Elon Musk's SpaceX, according to reports. Conservation groups argued that SpaceX's operations violate the National Environmental Policy Act due to noise and light pollution. In addition, construction and road traffic degrade the area, they said, which is home to various endangered or threatened species.
U.S. district judge Carl Nichols in Washington ruled that the FAA had satisfied its obligation to "take a hard look at the effects of light on nearby wildlife."
The FAA in May announced it gave SpaceX permission to increase its number of Starship launches in Texas to 25 per year from five.
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Elsewhere, Rocket Lab last week announced it had delivered two Explorer-class spacecraft to NASA for an upcoming Mars mission this fall. NASA calls the mission Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE). It will send twin spacecraft to Mars orbit to study how solar winds interact with the planet's magnetic environment, which should provide insight to its atmosphere and weather environment.
Rocket Lab said it built the two spacecraft, named Blue and Gold, on an accelerated 3.5 year timeline.
"ESCAPADE is a perfect example of why Rocket Lab exists — to make ambitious space science faster and more affordable," CEO Sir Peter Beck said. "Delivering two interplanetary spacecraft on schedule and within budget for a Mars mission is no small feat, and it speaks to the determination and agility of our team."
RKLB swung 1.6% higher on Monday on an attempt to rebound off its 50-day line.
Shares have rallied nearly 85% so far this year.
Rocket Lab hit a record high of 55.17 on Sept. 15 on an attempted cup-with-handle breakout, before retreating 11% to trigger a sell rule.
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