To be very fair, a large proportion of the population doesn't intuitively understand the difference. Most people think you go to orbit by going "up".
Just because SpaceX is doing something much harder than what Blue Origin is doing, that doesn't make it easy or trivial. Even getting a rocket that size to space is incredibly difficult, and not that many nations have done it. The fact that they're doing it, with a (soon to be) crewed capsule, which lands vertically... that's mind blowing.
The fact that SpaceX has a ton of success doesn't raise the table stakes. Basically, no one else (except SpaceX) is doing what Blue Origin is doing, nor have they done it in history. That is tremendous. I am very, very happy for Blue Origin, even though I'm rooting harder for SpaceX. Respect all around.
> Most people think you go to orbit by going "up".
This is very true. More than one person I know commented on how strange it is that SpaceX rockets go 'sideways'. They think going 'up' is the prelude to going into orbit.
Just because SpaceX is doing something much harder than what Blue Origin is doing, that doesn't make it easy or trivial. Even getting a rocket that size to space is incredibly difficult, and not that many nations have done it. The fact that they're doing it, with a (soon to be) crewed capsule, which lands vertically... that's mind blowing.
The fact that SpaceX has a ton of success doesn't raise the table stakes. Basically, no one else (except SpaceX) is doing what Blue Origin is doing, nor have they done it in history. That is tremendous. I am very, very happy for Blue Origin, even though I'm rooting harder for SpaceX. Respect all around.