Blue Origin's test tanks look familiar.
Copying your Homework
Ars Technica has released the first images of Blue Origins Project Jarvis. They show a massive stainless steel structure that will be used as a test tank for its upper stage, the New Glenn orbital rocket.
Experts pointed out that the test tank is strikingly similar to SpaceX's Super Heavy booster prototypes. This primary stage was designed to launch Elon Musk's Starship spacecraft into orbit.
Musk was intrigued by one meme that resulted from the comparison. Hey Elon! Can I Copy Your Homework? wrote one Twitter account. It was a repost from a submission to Reddit /r/SpaceXMasterrace.
Musk clearly thought the sentiment was funny and replied with a laughing emoticon on Wednesday. This is a sign that he doesn't consider the Jeff Bezos-led firm a serious competitor.
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Vertical Landing
Blue Origin is still working out the best way to launch its New Glenn heavy-lift-launch vehicle. Ars reports that Blue Origin has not ruled out the possibility of adding large wings to allow the second stage glide down to Earth.
Blue Origin is more likely to choose a familiar procedure, which involves using the stage to launch New Glenn, then separating and landing vertically, just like SpaceX's Super Heavy booster.
Whatever the case, it is likely that Blue Origins will continue to develop and team SpaceX will make more demeaning comments about how Blue Origins is playing catch-up with the competition.
This is due in large part to the fact Blue Origin has been fighting tooth-and-nine to be part NASAs upcoming Artemis missions. SpaceX was the sole winner of NASA's Human Landing Systems contract. This angered Blue Origins leadership and prompted a lawsuit by Bezos against NASA.
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It's a bitter competition, and billionaires will throw a lot of money to be the commercial super-heavy-lift system of preference. This is a high-risk, high-reward game that will make some jokers laugh.
READ MORE: Blue Origins Project Jarvis Test Tank First Images [Ars Technica]
More Blue Origin: The Scale Model of Blue Origins Rocket Is Not an Operable Dildo
