Could Blue Origin Successfully Challenge SpaceX and Starship Using Their New Glenn Rocket?
In the wee hours of Jan 16, Blue Origin's ambitious venture, led by Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its New Glenn rocket into space for the first time, albeit with a touch of drama as the booster missed its sea landing target. While SpaceX, with its Falcon 9, managed five failed sea landings before securing the technique, Blue Origin will eventually master this skill too. Once they do, SpaceX will face its first real competition with another reusable rocket company, offering nearly identical launch prices but double the payload capacity.
As SpaceX braces for this challenge, it's essential to understand the New Glenn and Falcon 9's limitations. Falcon 9 can handle up to 22 metric tons of payload to low Earth orbit (LEO) at a cost of $69.8 million per launch. On the other hand, Blue Origin hasn't disclosed New Glenn's price yet, but it's known to carry twice as much cargo as Falcon 9, amounting to 45 metric tons per launch.
However, it's not a straightforward battle between these two. SpaceX is actively preparing for this contest by developing Starship, a colossal rocket capable of launching 250 metric tons to LEO, five times New Glenn's payload capacity. With a size superior to New Glenn (120 meters tall versus 98) and a wider cargo fairing, Starship will be a formidable competitor. Furthermore, SpaceX engineers estimate Starship launch costs to fall as low as $10 million per flight, providing significant advantages in terms of both payload and cost-efficiency.
While New Glenn seems to have an edge in terms of initial operation, both companies are still working on refining their technology. SpaceX's most recent Starship prototype successfully landed its Super Heavy booster, but the second stage still requires further testing. Ultimately, it's the larger, more cost-efficient, and fully reusable Starship that appears to hold the future for SpaceX, setting the stage for a compelling contest.
In conclusion, the perceived battle between New Glenn and Falcon 9 turns into a competition between New Glenn and SpaceX's Starship. Although New Glenn may commence operations before Starship, the latter's capabilities far outshine the former, providing SpaceX an advantageous position in the long run.
Investors looking at the space industry should closely monitor this competition, as both companies offer promising opportunities for profitable investment in finance. With SpaceX's Starship boasting a lower launch cost and significantly higher payload capacity than New Glenn, it could potentially attract more customers and partnerships in the future.
Blue Origin's New Glenn may initially provide investors with a return on their investment due to its early operation, but given SpaceX's continuous advancements in technology and cost-efficiency with Starship, long-term investors might find better returns with the latter.
