Blue Origin gains NASA partnership to study a crewed spacecraft for orbit

Last week NASA announced several partnerships with commercial companies that will provide NASA personnel and expertise to them as they work to develop new technologies. Most of them have to do with commercial space stations, but one stood out: Blue Origin’s crewed spacecraft.

NASA selected seven companies for unfunded Space Act Agreements. While the companies don’t get any help funding their developments, NASA will provide personnel and expertise to assist the company’s program, which is just as important. While there were other companies like SpaceX and Sierra Space, we’re going to focus on Blue Origin’s crew capsule project.

The agreement states that NASA will support Blue Origin’s development of an “integrated commercial space transportation capability that ensures safe, affordable, and high-frequency U.S. access to orbit for crew and other missions.” But in much shorter and easier-to-understand words, it’s a crewed spacecraft for Blue Origin’s New Glenn.

This isn’t the first time Blue Origin has dipped its toes into the water of orbital human spaceflight. It competed in the early stages of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program with a spacecraft that would launch on ULA’s Atlas V. But Blue Origin decided not to continue in the competition.

This study doesn’t necessarily mean Blue Origin will bring a human spaceflight program to the market, but it does mean they are still working on the technology. It also doesn’t mean NASA will purchase any flights from Blue Origin, just that they are interested in seeing the technology mature.

But it’s still fun to speculate.

Is there still time for a SpaceX competitor?

This is probably the easiest “yes” I could give. If there is any market that SpaceX could face genuine competition in, it is human spaceflight.

The Commercial Crew Program has to be one of NASA’s most successful programs, as it has created a huge boom in business for SpaceX. While Boeing has had trouble, it has allowed SpaceX to be the only option for commercial spaceflight.

A cost-competitive second player in this space could easily compete for the commercial flights billions wish to purchase. However, SpaceX has a leg up here; it has seven missions for NASA, two Axiom flights with more on the way, and Jared Issacman’s whole private space program.

Now Blue Origin has partnered with Sierra Space to build Orbital Reef, one of NASA’s potential LEO Destination options. Currently, Sierra Space Dream Chasers would service Orbital Reef, but having redundant Blue Origin options could be an intelligent play.

Also, I stated earlier that this spacecraft would be for New Glenn. Nothing says that as fact, but it is obvious as it’s the only orbital rocket Blue Origin is working on. Also, if you look at New Glenn’s launch pad, one tower is much bigger than the others. I’m not confirming anything because I don’t have any inside information on it, but let your imagination run wild there for a moment.

Anyways, if Blue Origin can bring this human-rated spacecraft to market and make it cost-competitive with Crew Dragon, there could be some good money in it for them.