Blue Origin

Extracted Attributes

• CEO

  Dave Limp

• Founded

  2000-09-01

• Founder

  Jeff Bezos

• Headquarters

  Kent, Washington, United States

• Key Products

  New Shepard, New Glenn, BE-4 rocket engine, Blue Moon lunar lander, Blue Ring spacecraft platform, Orbital Reef space station, TeraWave

• Number of Employees

  3501 people

Timeline

• Blue Origin is founded by Jeff Bezos in Kent, Washington. (Source: Wikidata)

  2000-09-01

• Achieved first successful uncrewed launch and vertical landing of the New Shepard rocket. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2015-11-23

• Completed its first crewed mission of New Shepard with founder Jeff Bezos on board, crossing the K
  rm
  n line. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2021-07-20

• Delivered its first BE-4 rocket engine to United Launch Alliance. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2023-01-01

• Appointed Dave Limp as CEO to succeed Bob Smith, addressing challenges regarding developmental progress. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2023-09-01

• Reached orbit with the successful maiden launch of the New Glenn heavy-lift vehicle. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2025-01-16

• Completed its 11th human spaceflight and 31st overall spaceflight for the New Shepard program with an all-female crew of six. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2025-04-14

• Announced a pause on tourism launches of the New Shepard rocket for two years or more to focus resources on the Artemis lunar landing program. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2026-01-01

• Successfully completed the 38th flight for the New Shepard program, marking its first flight of 2026. (Source: Web Search Results)

  2026-01-22

Blue Origin

Blue Origin Enterprises, L.P. is a private American space technology company headquartered in Kent, Washington. The company operates the suborbital New Shepard rocket and the heavy-lift New Glenn rocket. In addition to producing engines for its own rockets, Blue Origin supplies engines for other vehicles, including United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur. It is also working on the Blue Moon human lunar lander for NASA's Artemis program, the Blue Ring spacecraft platform, and the Orbital Reef space station in partnership with other organizations. Founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin initially operated with a very low profile, funded by Bezos's private investments. In 2015, the company achieved a significant milestone with the first uncrewed launch and landing of the New Shepard and announced plans for New Glenn. In 2021, New Shepard completed its first crewed mission with Bezos himself on board, crossing the Kármán line, the conventional definition of the edge of space, 100 kilometers (62 mi) above sea level. Another key achievement came in January 2023 when the company delivered its first BE-4 rocket engine to United Launch Alliance. Despite these milestones, Blue Origin has faced criticism for its perceived slow progress, particularly when compared to SpaceX. Addressing these challenges, the company underwent a leadership change in September 2023, appointing Dave Limp as CEO to succeed Bob Smith. On January 16, 2025, Blue Origin reached orbit with the first launch of the New Glenn vehicle. On April 14, 2025, Blue Origin completed its 11th human spaceflight and its 31st spaceflight for the New Shepard Program with an all-female crew of six. In January 2026, the company decided to pause tourism launches of its New Shepard rocket for two years or more, in order to focus resources on lunar landing efforts of the Artemis program.

Web Search Results

• Blue Origin - Wikipedia

  pad 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States. The two BE-4rocket engines worked as expected.( [...] In May 2019, Bezos unveiled plans for a crew-capable lunar lander named Blue Moon "Blue Moon (spacecraft)").( The lander is designed to transport up to 3,600 kilograms (7,900 lb) to the lunar surface in its standard configuration, while a stretched-tank variant can carry up to 6,500 kilograms (14,300 lb). Both versions are engineered for soft landings on the Moon. In 2020, Blue Origin, in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper, submitted the Blue Moon lunar lander proposal for NASA's Artemis program. After NASA awarded the human landing system (HLS) contract to SpaceX in 2021 for its Starship HLS, Blue Origin contested the decision. This challenge ultimately led to NASA awarding a separate contract for Blue Moon in 2023. [...] The company primarily employs an incremental approach from sub-orbital to orbital flight,( with each developmental step building on its prior work. The company moved into the orbital spaceflight technology development business in 2014, initially as a rocket engine supplier via a contractual agreement to build the BE-4 rocket engine, for major US launch system operator United Launch Alliance (ULA). United Launch Alliance (ULA) has said that the first flight of its Vulcan Centaurheavy-lift launch vehicle is scheduled to launch in Q4 of 2023. The heavy-lift launch vehicles main power is supported by two BE-4 engines. On June 7, 2023, United Launch Alliance (ULA) performed a Flight Readiness Firing of the Vulcan Centaurrocket at launch pad 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape

• About Blue | Blue Origin

  Today, Blue Origin is learning to harness materials found in space to enable future exploration. This includes using lunar dust to ultimately produce solar power systems, power transmission cables, and oxygen for propellants and human consumption, as well as developing systems to identify water ice on the Moon's south pole for extraction of hydrogen to refuel our landers. ### Mission ObjectiveInspire and Mobilize Future Generations Our vision spans generations. This generation will lay the groundwork, and future generations will carry the torch. [...] Reusability is the key to radically reducing the cost of spaceflight. Our rockets, New Shepard and New Glenn, have been designed for reusability from the start. Each vehicle features a vertical take-off and landing architecture, enabling booster re-use up to 25 times with minimal refurbishment. They are powered by reusable, throttleable, liquid propellant engines. ### Mission ObjectiveHarness the Vast Resources of Space The road to space will be built from the limitless treasures of the solar system. We must learn to "live off the land" to fully realize the promise of space for the benefit of Earth. [...] Blue Origin: For The Benefit of Earth ## Space Systems ## Company # About Blue Origin “It’s this generation’s job to build a road to space, so that future generations can unleash their creativity.” - Jeff Bezos ## Our Mission We’re Building a Road to Space for the Benefit of Earth Blue Origin means "Earth." We envision a future where millions of people will live and work in space with a single-minded purpose: to restore and sustain Earth, our blue origin. ### Mission ObjectiveRadically Reduce the Cost of Access to Space

• News | Blue Origin

  ## New Shepard Completes 37th Mission Blue Origin successfully launched the 37th flight of the New Shepard program. This mission marked the first time a wheelchair user has flown above the Kármán Line. ## Blue Ring to Become First Fully Commercial Space Domain Awareness Mission in GEO with Optimum Technologies’ Sensor Blue Origin announced an agreement with Optimum Technologies (OpTech) to integrate its next-generation Caracal optical payload onboard the first mission of Blue Ring. ## New Glenn Update Blue Origin announced a series of upgrades to New Glenn designed to increase payload performance and launch cadence, while enhancing reliability. ## New Glenn Launches NASA’s ESCAPADE, Lands Fully Reusable Booster [...] Blue Origin today announced it will pause its New Shepard flights and shift resources to further accelerate development of the company's human lunar capabilities. ## New Glenn-3 to Launch AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Satellite Blue Origin announced that New Glenn’s next mission will carry AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation Block 2 BlueBird satellite to low Earth orbit. ## Blue Origin Completes 38th New Shepard Flight to Space On January 22, 2026, Blue Origin successfully completed the 38th flight for the New Shepard program and first of 2026. ## Blue Origin Introduces TeraWave, a 6 Tbps Space-Based Network for Global Connectivity Blue Origin today announced TeraWave, a satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. [...] The New Glenn orbital launch vehicle successfully completed its second mission, deploying NASA’s ESCAPADE twin-spacecraft into the designated loiter orbit, and landing the fully reusable first stage on Jacklyn in the Atlantic Ocean. ## Blue Origin Completes 36th New Shepard Flight to Space Blue Origin successfully completed the 36th flight for the New Shepard program. New Shepard has now flown 86 humans (80 individuals) into space. ## Blue Origin and Luxembourg Partner on Oasis-1 Mission to Map Lunar Resources Blue Origin today announced Project Oasis, a multi-phase initiative to identify key lunar resources from orbit, assess them on the ground, and harness them in situ. ## Press Inquiries ## Follow Blue Origin Blue Origin Home © 2026 Blue Origin ## Subscribe

• Blue Origin - BBC News

  # Blue Origin Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket taking off from a Florida launchpad with a hazy blue sky behind it. ## Blue Origin rocket grounded after satellite 'mishap' The firm founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos is investigating the failed launch. Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos speaks during the American Business Forum at the Kaseya Center in Miami on 6 November, 2025. He is wearing a dark suit jacket and white open-neck light blue shirt. ## Bezos' Blue Origin announces satellite rival to Musk's Starlink Blue Origin will be focused on businesses and governments, while Starlink also offers services to individual customers. [...] A Vietnamese woman in a shiny cobalt blue jumpsuit is pictured with her fists in the air and mouth open wide as she cheers whilst leaving the Blue Origin rocket, pictured behind her. The rocket is white, with two window panels either side of the door. Another woman smiles up at the astronaut. ## Blue Origin astronaut reveals depression after 'tsunami of harassment' Blue Origin's all-female crew, which included scientist Amanda Nguyen, was launched into space in April. Split screen. Left, rocket takes off next to pylons. Right, the booster stage touches down on an ocean landing stage. ## Blue Origin rocket successfully lands booster during Mars mission launch [...] Katy Perry, dressed in a blue jumpsuit, walks away from the Blue Origin rocket after going to space. ## Wendy's praises Katy Perry after 'can we send her back' space tweet The fast-food chain says it has no ill-will for Perry, after snide tweets about her trip to space went viral. Blue Origin rocket lifts off ## Did Blue Origin's rocket have 'no carbon emissions?' Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket lifts off from Texas ## What will happen to science research if Trump cuts Nasa's budget? ### The BBC is in multiple languages #### Read the BBC In your own language Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.

• Blue Origin vows to resume New Glenn launches before end of year in wake of massive explosion - CBS News

  bluemoon-mk2.jpg If those tests go well, NASA hopes to launch one, and possibly two, astronaut moon landing missions in 2028, soon followed by two flights per year thereafter before beginning assembly of a moon base near the lunar south pole where astronauts can live and work for months at a time. Blue Origin's lander would give NASA an alternative to SpaceX's, a variant of the company's Starship rocket. SpaceX has had its own problems perfecting the Super Heavy-Starship rocket needed to launch its lander, and it's not yet clear if they will be ready for the Artemis III Earth-orbit test flight next year as currently planned. [...] gallery-ng3-vertical1.jpg Blue Origin was preparing to launch its third New Glenn later this month to put a batch of Amazon Leo internet satellites into orbit. Last Thursday, engineers loaded both stages with supercold liquid methane and oxygen for a first stage engine test firing to verify its readiness for flight. The Leo satellites were not aboard. Such "hot-fire" tests are fairly routine in the rocket industry, giving engineers a chance to test launch-day fueling procedures, a booster's propulsion system and critical ground and flight software while the rocket remains securely bolted to its launch pad. But it was far from routine last Thursday. [...] Blue Origin's New Glenn also is needed to launch prototype rovers and other science experiments to the moon aboard an unpiloted cargo lander under contracts announced two days before last week's explosion. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman remains optimistic about landing Artemis astronauts on the moon in 2028 using whatever landing craft is available. "Blue Origin leadership has responded incredibly quickly, and NASA will do all we can to help with root cause analysis and accelerate pad recovery timeframes while staying extremely focused on progressing the lander," he said on X. Kennedy Space Center Director Brian Hughes, appointed to the post just last month, told the Space Florida board of directors Tuesday that NASA is "doubling down on the lunar lander."

• Image

  

• Country

  United States

• Founder

  Jeff Bezos

• Employees

  3,501

• Instance Of

  Q11753232

• Headquarters

  Washington

• Inception Date

  9/1/2000