Jeff Bezos blasted into space (more or less) last month on a Blue Origin rocket, a move that didn’t impress… well, most parts of the planet that didn’t include Jeff Bezos. So it might not be the perfect time to mention that you can own your very own New Shepard rocket, for the unfortunate sum of $69. Because of how it looks, naturally.
Blue Origin for beginners
Perhaps appropriately, the Blue Origin rocket being offered on the Estes Rockets web store is rated for beginners. Jeff Bezos’ company doesn’t have that much experience with putting its hardware up in the sky where it belongs, despite what he seems to want NASA to think.
If not for the fact that it’s a symbol of the billionaire class exploiting the sweat of a rapidly declining middle class to make more money than a single person (or family) should ever own, this scale-model Estes rocket is actually pretty cool. The R1,050 base model actually flies, but it doesn’t ship with everything you need to get it to its maximum 121-metre height — you’ll need to pop in one of two engine types for that. There’s also a starter set available from the company, with all the bits you need to successfully get it into the air. That’ll set you back R1,650, if you’re keen on that.
Or you can check out what else the company has to offer. They’ve got replica models of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rockets for beginners, more advanced models based on missile tech or science fiction, all the way up to their Pro Series II rockets that’ll reach heights of up to 550 metres. If you’re a rocket nerd, it’s a fantastic place to hang out.
Source: Gizmodo
