Blue Origin

Blue Origin is a private spaceflight company based in Kent, Washington that is working to send tourists to space on its reusable suborbital rocket called New Shepard. The company was created in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com.

In 2015, Blue Origin made history by successfully launching and landing a reusable rocket for the first time. The company is currently developing a lunar lander called Blue Moon that will make robotic cargo deliveries to the lunar surface, and it is partnering with SpaceX and Dynetics to develop a human-rated moon lander that will carry astronauts to the lunar surface in 2024 under NASA's Artemis Program.

See the latest Blue Origin images, videos and other space news here.

Latest Updates

A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket and capsule launch on the suborbital NS-14 mission from the company's West Texas site on Jan. 14, 2021.

Blue Origin will simulate moon gravity on rocket launches for NASA

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA has tapped Blue Origin to simulate moon gravity on suborbital rocket launches.

An artist's illustration of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket in flight.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin won't launch its 1st New Glenn rocket until late 2022

By Mike Wall

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is pushing the target date for the debut launch of its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket from late 2021 to late 2022.

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos will step down as Amazon CEO

By Samantha Mathewson

Amazon's founder and CEO Jeff Bezos announced Tuesday (Feb. 2) that he is stepping down this year to focus on other initiatives, including his spaceflight company Blue Origin.

Blue Origin's first upgraded New Shepard rocket and crew capsule launches on an uncrewed suborbital flight from the company's West Texas test site on Jan. 14, 2021.

Blue Origin's 1st upgraded New Shepard spacecraft for astronauts aces launch (and landing)

By Mike Wall

Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle just aced another suborbital test flight, keeping it on track to start launching people in the relatively near future.

Liftoff of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket on its twelfth suborbital mission to space and back from the company's West Texas launch site on Dec. 11, 2019. On board for this flight was the first batch of thousands of Club for the Future postcards.

Blue Origin will launch its upgraded New Shepard space capsule today. Here's how to watch live.

By Elizabeth Howell

"Mannequin Skywalker" will fly to space Thursday (Jan. 14) as part of a big test for Blue Origin's budding human spaceflight program — and you can watch the event live.

An artist's depiction of Blue Origin's heavy-lift New Glenn launch vehicle.

NASA adds Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket as a launcher for future missions

By Meghan Bartels

Blue Origin's future New Glenn rocket will join NASA's fleet of commercial launch vehicles for flights in the mid-2020s, the agency and company have announced.

Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle made its 13th flight on Oct. 13, 2020.

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket aces record 7th launch, landing in test flight

By Hanneke Weitering

Blue Origin successfully launched its New Shepard rocket for space tourism on an uncrewed test flight over West Texas on Tuesday (Oct. 13).

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket booster lands after successfully launching the company's eleventh mission, NS-11, from West Texas on May 2, 2019.

Blue Origin will launch a New Shepard test flight Tuesday. Here's how to watch.

By Mike Wall

Blue Origin plans to launch its New Shepard suborbital vehicle on an uncrewed test flight Tuesday morning (Oct. 13), and you can watch the liftoff live.

Blue Origin's New Shepard space capsule and rocket on the pad at the company's West Texas Launch Site in January 2019. The same rocket will launch the NS-13 mission in September 2020.

Blue Origin scrubs New Shepard rocket launch due to power glitch

By Hanneke Weitering

Blue Origin has delayed the planned launch of its New Shepard rocket from West Texas today (Sept. 24), citing a power glitch.

Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle launches on its twelfth suborbital test mission to space and back from the company's West Texas launch site on Dec. 11, 2019.

Blue Origin will launch its next New Shepard suborbital test flight today. Here's how to watch live.

By Mike Wall

Blue Origin's reusable New Shepard spacecraft will take to the skies this week for the first time in nine months.

Artist Jeff Hein, working in his studio, tests the paints and creative process to apply a mural to the exterior panel on a Blue Origin New Shepard spacecraft.

Space art-ifact: Uplift Aerospace offers to paint murals on Blue Origin spacecraft

By Robert Z. Pearlman

A commercial spacecraft that has been designed to launch people on brief trips into space has inspired a new creative use — as a canvas for artwork.

NASA has selected a Blue Origin-led team, Dynetics and SpaceX's Starship to develop new moon landers for astronauts for the agency's Artemis lunar program.

NASA picks SpaceX, Dynetics and Blue Origin-led team to develop Artemis moon landers

By Mike Wall

NASA has picked SpaceX, Dynetics and a team led by Blue Origin to develop new moon landers for astronauts under the agency's Artemis lunar program.

A view of the payload fairing for Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket.

Watch Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket come together with these behind-the-scenes videos

By Elizabeth Howell

Several videos from Blue Origin show progress in the design of its latest rocket, New Glenn, as the company ramps up for the first launch next year.

The first hotfire test of Blue Origin's BE-7 engine took place June 18 on a test stand at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

Blue Origin opens new rocket engine factory in Alabama

By Chelsea Gohd

The first hotfire test of Blue Origin's BE-7 engine, which will be used for the company's lunar lander. The test took place on June 18, 2019.

Blue Origin will test moon lander engine at Air Force rocket lab

By Chelsea Gohd

Blue Origin will test the engine for the company's lunar lander at a U.S. Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) rocket lab.

Blue Origin opens its new research and development building and headquarters in Kent, Washington on Jan. 6, 2020. Pictured from left: Washington State Representative Tina Orwall, US Congressman Denny Heck, US Congressperson Adam Smith, Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith, Kent Mayor Dana Ralph, US Congressperson Derek Kilmer, Washington State Senator Lisa Wellman, Washington State Representative J.T. Wilcox, and Blue Origin COO Terry Benedict.

Blue Origin Opens New Headquarters As It Aims For The Moon, Astronaut Flights

By Elizabeth Howell

Blue Origin opened a new headquarters in Washington State as the company aims to send private astronauts into suborbital space later this year.

The blue haze of Earth's horizon glows through the windows behind payload racks aboard a Blue Origin New Shepard capsule in space. An auction benefiting SPACE on Ryder Farm is offering to fly an item of the winner's choice on a New Shepard flight.

Blue Origin Will Fly Charitybuzz Auction Winner's Item of Choice to Space

By Robert Z. Pearlman

A charity auction is offering an out-of-this-world chance: launch something of yours into space.

Blue Origin Sends Kids' Postcards to Space on New Shepard Launch

By Robert Z. Pearlman

A commercial rocket's brief trip to space and back has given new meaning to the popular postcard slogan, "Wish you were here!"

A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launches the Reusable Space Ship H.G. Wells on its record 6th flight to suborbital space from the company's West Texas launch site on Dec. 11, 2019.

Blue Origin's New Shepard Makes Record 6th Launch to Fly NASA Science, Student Art to Space

By Chelsea Gohd

Blue Origin's reusable New Shepard spacecraft launched on a suborbital mission for NASA and other customers Wednesday (Dec. 11), carrying science and even student art and postcards into space.

Naren Shankar, Executive Producer of "The Expanse" (left) actor Dominique Tipper (center) and actor Cara Gee (right) sit on a panel for Blue Origin staff in a video published by Amazon Prime on Dec. 5, 2019.

'The Expanse' Cast Visited Blue Origin. Here's What Happened Next (Video)

By Doris Elin Urrutia

The cast and crew behind the popular futuristic space saga "The Expanse" visit a Blue Origin facility in a recent video published by Amazon Prime, the new home for the series.