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Carbon fibre second stages that melt/burn up on re-entry.


Peter Beck says that "we like the black."

The tiny Electron is entirely carbon, isn't it?

Their new Neutron has a fully reusable first stage, also out of carbon fiber. For Neutron, they have the largest automated fiber placement machine known to exist:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zmJdJIlPOr4


And? We still have yet to see whether full re-usability of the second stage is the best approach. The Neutron approach is really interesting, they can make the second stage incredibly light and cheap. Blue Origin claims the economics of a super-cheap disposable second stage, even for as one as large as theirs, is pretty much equal to a more expensive and heavier reusable second stage. (they're developing both in parallel to see where the chips land).




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