I totally missed this from them...

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I mean, sure, It's neat as a space geek. But it really doesn't hold a candle to what SpaceX has done.

While I agree they're behind SpaceX (SpaceX is functional and making deliveries into space), Blue Origin seems to have the focus on manned flight.

I just appreciate what both are doing.

Blue Origin is probably 5+ years away from being to a point that they could reasonably be competing with SpaceX, but the advantage that they have is an enormous pile of money coming in every year through Bezos. Musk is super rich, no doubt, but he has to make his projects generate revenue. Bezos barely has a reason to care.

I wouldn't say Bezos is at Musk's level of out-of-the box thinking or altruism, but he's got more money to throw at everything, which can make a difference.

Does SpaceX have a projected plan for manned flight. I sure hope so. If they do, that could cover all the bases.

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Not sure if I'm missing what you're asking. Like for tourists?

Obviously the whole point of SpaceX is sending people to Mars, and they hope to be sending people to ISS next year.

I can't wait to see Falcon Heavy fly. Last I heard, they are still planning on a launch this summer.

It'll be a sight to see for sure. They're getting close...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Formerly the Leaning Tower of Thaicom-8 (1023) - we believe - now preparing to be a side booster for Falcon Heavy: <a href="https://t.co/TrSZCo5Oz2">https://t.co/TrSZCo5Oz2</a> <a href="https://t.co/eeh5xlkzCJ">pic.twitter.com/eeh5xlkzCJ</a></p>&mdash; Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/850900133441130496">April 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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I don't understand the Leaning Tower of Thaicom-8 reference. That isn't a used rocket, right? Surely they wouldn't try the first launch of Heavy with used hardware.

More the latter. I know the Mars thing, but keeping people alive and some other technical details need to get worked out before they strap anybody into that rocket.

So the ISS thing will be super exciting when it happens.

Actually they are indeed flying used hardware for the first launch (both side boosters - the center core will be new). The center cores are apparently having to be manufactured differently (they had hoped that the Heavy would be nothing but 3 F9's strapped together), so it can't be used until they recover an actual FH core.

As for the launch, Elon has described it as a "high risk" mission, so I'm guessing they're confident enough in the used cores that they don't think they will be the cause of a failure. And if they're worried about it making it in the first place, better to dump two previously-flown boosters than a new one.

I get the logic.

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Alrighty then. I read that he is talking about trying to recover the second stage too. He is ambitious.

I don't think I'll wake up at 5am (Mountain) on Sunday for it, but...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Static fire test complete. Targeting Falcon 9 launch of NROL-76 on Sunday, April 30. <a href="https://t.co/mk0dQGj17o">pic.twitter.com/mk0dQGj17o</a></p>&mdash; SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/856950895388401664">April 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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You guys, I know this is super old news and is basically the convention at this point, but the vertical landing is just SO scifi. I can't believe it's actually happening. One of the few stupid things that were seen as futuristic back in the 50's and on has actually come to fruition.