While Jeff Bezos is best known for founding Amazon, the lifelong space enthusiast has spent more than two decades building Blue Origin, an aerospace company that aims to create a future in which millions of people live and work beyond Earth.
What Is Blue Origin?
Blue Origin is an aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company founded by Jeff Bezos in 2000. The company develops reusable launch vehicles, rocket engines and lunar landers to make space travel cheaper and more reliable.
Initially known for its space tourism expeditions, Blue Origin is now focused on developing reusable rockets that can transport large payloads, space tugs that support satellites’ technical requirements and spacecraft that can land on the moon. One of the company’s lunar landers is slated to deliver cargo to the moon in 2026, and another is poised to carry astronauts to the surface of the moon in 2029. Blue Origin is also planning a satellite network that will provide high-speed internet for enterprise, data center and government customers, and it’s building a ground-station network to support spacecraft communications.
What started as a side project for one of the world’s richest businessmen has grown into a critical player in the space sector, with billions of dollars in federal contracts. But Blue Origin has plenty of work to do to catch up to its primary competitor, SpaceX — and the road ahead will be anything but easy. In this article, we’ll unpack what Blue Origin is working on, which contracts it’s landed and what it’s planning for the future.
What Is Blue Origin?
Blue Origin is an aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos in September 2000, about six years after he founded Amazon. From the beginning, Bezos envisioned space not merely as a destination for exploration, but as a place where people could eventually live and work. The company’s stated mission is to “build a road to space for the benefit of Earth,” with the long-term vision of millions of people living and working in space.
For much of its early history, Blue Origin worked in relative secrecy. It established a launch and testing site in West Texas, eventually purchasing hundreds of thousands of acres near Van Horn for what became known as Corn Ranch. The company’s early work included experimental vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing vehicles and propulsion systems before it settled on New Shepard, a reusable suborbital system capable of carrying people and research payloads above the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.
But New Shepard is only one part of Blue Origin’s strategy. The company is now focused on improving New Glenn, its reusable orbital launch system, and its Blue Moon lunar landers. The company aims to deliver NASA payloads to the moon by the end of 2026, and it aims to bring humans to the moon in 2029.
While Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket has made it to orbit three times, the company remains far behind SpaceX — and it fell even further behind after a ground test explosion in May 2026. SpaceX’s Falcon 9, meanwhile, has averaged a launch almost every other day in 2025.
In a May 2026 interview, Bezos acknowledged that SpaceX leads Blue Origin in launch services, but he said his company is in closer competition in developing the next generation of heavy-lift and super-heavy-lift rockets. Blue Origin’s heavy-lift rocket New Glenn has had three successful launches, while SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy has had 12 successful launches since 2018. As far as super-heavy rockets, SpaceX’s Starship has had 13 successful test flights, while New Glenn 9x4 is still in development.
Bezos has bank-rolled Blue Origin’s operations over the past couple decades by selling Amazon stock. Now, the company is seeking outside investors for the first time. In July 2026, CNBC reported that Blue Origin aimed to raise $10 billion in a funding round that would value the company at $130 billion. Bezos would contribute $2 billion to the round. Bezos has said his company is a good long-term investment, claiming it’s “going to be the best business that I’ve ever been involved in.”
Blue Origin Rockets and Crafts
Blue Origin’s major vehicles and systems include New Shepard, New Glenn, Blue Moon and Blue Ring.
New Shepard
New Shepard, named after astronaut Alan Shepard, is a reusable suborbital rocket and crew capsule designed to autonomously carry space tourists and payloads above the Kármán line. The 11-minute journey allows passengers to experience several minutes of weightlessness and a view of Earth as a “blue marble.”
In July 2021, New Shepard carried its first passengers to space, which included Bezos, his younger brother Mark Bezos, longtime aviator Wally Funk and Oliver Daeman, an 18-year-old Dutch student who became the youngest person to fly in space at the time. It has since transported a total of 98 passengers over the course of 38 missions. But in January 2026, Blue Origin announced it was pausing New Shepard flights for at least two years to focus on its lunar flight program.
New Glenn
New Glenn, named for astronaut John Glenn, is a heavy-lift launch vehicle designed to carry large payloads into orbit. At more than 320 feet tall and a seven-meter payload fairing, it’s capable of carrying more than 13 metric tons to geostationary transfer orbit and 45 metric tons to low-Earth orbit. New Glenn’s first-stage, powered by seven BE-4 engines, is designed to be reused at least 25 times.
The rocket reached orbit for the first time in January 2025, but it did not recover its first-stage booster. On its second mission in November 2025, New Glenn successfully deployed its payload and landed its reusable first-stage booster on the drone ship Jacklyn in the Atlantic Ocean. On its third flight in April 2026, New Glenn reused the first-stage booster and landed it again, but one of the second-stage engines did not produce enough thrust to place the payload into its intended orbit. A New Glenn rocket exploded during a May 2026 test, and the team is building a new launch pad with the goal of flying by the end of 2026.
Blue Origin is also developing a super-heavy variant of New Glenn called 9x4, as it’s powered by nine BE-4 engines on the first stage and four BE-3U engines on the second stage. The rocket, which is nearly 400 feet tall with an 8.7-meter payload fairing, can carry 14 metric tons directly to geostationary orbit and 20 metric tons to the moon.
Blue Moon
Blue Moon is Blue Origin's family of lunar landers. Its first, Blue Moon Mark 1, is an uncrewed lunar lander designed to carry as much as three tons of cargo to the lunar surface. Mark 1 is scheduled to deliver NASA payloads to the moon in late 2026 as part of the Moon Base I mission.
Its second lunar lander, Blue Mark 2, is a human landing system designed to carry astronauts. It has been selected to carry two astronauts to the moon for NASA’s Artemis V mission in 2029. The astronauts will board Mark 2 from NASA’s Gateway lunar space station. Mark 2 will then land on the moon’s south pole, where the astronauts will conduct science and exploration activities.
Blue Ring
Instead of simply deploying a payload into orbit, Blue Origin’s space tug, called Blue Ring, can transport up to 4,000 kilograms of payload between orbits or within an orbit, allowing clients to test their payload’s capabilities in geostationary orbit, cislunar space or even interplanetary trajectories. Powered by a hybrid solar, electric and chemical propulsion system, Blue Ring could use its chemical propulsion to travel directly to geosynchronous orbit and then use electrical propulsion to move within orbit. Or it could use electrical propulsion to slowly travel to geosynchronous orbit, reserving its chemical propulsion for quick changes in orbit. Blue Ring also provides onboard electric power, data storage, computing power and communications, allowing clients to offload their data relay and critical processing needs.
Blue Origin’s Contracts and Partnerships
Blue Origin has at times struggled to break into the SpaceX-dominated aerospace sector, unsuccessfully suing NASA for awarding SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract for the lunar exploration program Artemis. But the company has since landed its own moon missions and national security contracts, while also securing lucrative commercial agreements with satellite operators and fellow Bezos-owned venture Amazon.
NASA’s Artemis V Mission
Blue Origin’s largest contract is a $3.4 billion agreement to design, develop and test its Blue Moon lunar lander, which will transport astronauts to the lunar surface as part of the Artemis V mission scheduled for 2029. NASA had previously contracted with SpaceX to update its lander from the upcoming Artemis III mission to meet the requirements of the Artemis IV mission. By adding a second lunar lander design, NASA hopes to drive innovation, reduce costs and support a regular cadence of lunar landings in the future.
U.S. Space Force’s National Security Space Launch Program
Blue Origin developed New Glenn with the help of $255 million through the Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program, which was later renamed the National Security Space Launch program. The contract was awarded in 2018 as a six-year agreement worth $500 million, but it was terminated at the end of 2020 because Blue Origin did not win a National Security Space Launch procurement contract.
Through the National Security Space Launch program, the United States Space Force’s Space Systems Command determines which aerospace companies will be tasked with carrying the country’s most valuable military satellites to space.
Blue Origin was first welcomed into the National Security Space Launch program in 2024 when it was selected for the Phase 3 Lane 1 program, which is reserved for less-demanding launches to low-Earth orbit. Under the Lane 1 program, Blue Origin and other qualifying companies will compete for $17 billion in contracts over a five-year period. Blue Origin received one of those contracts on May 28, 2026, the day New Glenn exploded during a hot-fire test.
In April 2025, Blue Origin entered the major leagues with an anticipated $2.4 billion contract under National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 2 — a program that funds higher performance launch systems to reach more “stressing” orbits, according to Blue Origin. Under the contract, the agency is expected to reward Blue Origin with seven missions over five years.
Cargo Deliveries to the Moon
Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 cargo lander will also make two cargo deliveries to the moon for NASA. The first mission, scheduled to occur in the fall 2026 or later, will help NASA develop a “moon base.” On that mission, Mark 1 will deliver a camera system that studies how the lunar surface reacts to engine plumes. It will also bring reflective laser lights that help orbiting spacecraft determine a more precise location. The second mission, scheduled for late 2027, will task Blue Origin with developing a second MK1 lander to deliver NASA’s VIPER rover to the moon’s south pole, where the rover will search for volatile resources, such as ice. That mission could be worth up to $190 million.
Amazon Leo
Amazon is one of Blue Origin’s most important commercial customers. When Amazon sought a launch partner for its broadband constellation project, it unsurprisingly chose Blue Origin, contracting its New Glenn rocket for 12 launches, with the option to add another 15 missions as needed. The project, now known as Amazon Leo, aims to launch 3,000 broadband satellites in all.
Satellite Companies
New Glenn has deployed numerous satellites to space for numerous satellite companies, including EutelSat, Telesat and Viasat. It also has a multi-launch agreement with AST SpaceMobile, which is developing a cellular broadband network in space.
New Glenn’s May 2026 Explosion
Blue Origin incurred a major setback on May 28, 2026, when its New Glenn rocket exploded during a hot-fire test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
In preparation for its fourth mission, Blue Origin put New Glenn through a hot-fire test, in which engineers ignite the engines while the rocket is secured to the launchpad, allowing them to evaluate the rocket’s propulsion systems. In this case, the rocket unexpectedly exploded into a massive fireball, destroying the rocket and parts of the launchpad. No one was injured or killed.
An investigation later revealed that the problem could be traced to an oxygen valve on one of the BE-4 engines. The company said it developed a small modification to the valve that could be retrofitted to existing engines.
Blue Origin is also rebuilding the damaged LC-36A launchpad in a horizontal/vertical hybrid configuration. Crews will attach the stages horizontally in an integration facility, raise the rocket upright with a crane and place it on the launch pedestal, where the payload will be attached to the top of the rocket. Blue Origin is also developing the nearby LC-36B launchpad to support New Glenn’s super-heavy 9x4 rocket. The company said these new launchpads will allow for increased launch capacity.
Blue Origin intends to launch New Glenn again before the end of 2026.
Future Plans for Blue Origin
Blue Origin’s immediate priority is rebuilding its Cape Canaveral launchpad to return New Glenn to flight by the end of 2026. It’s also focused on developing its Blue Moon lunar programs. Its Mark 1 cargo lander is scheduled to deliver cargo to the moon in 2026, and its Mark 2 human landing system is poised to carry astronauts to the moon’s surface in 2029. Blue Origin has also set its sights on building communications systems on the ground and in space, as well as a commercial space station.
Quartz
In August 2026, Blue Origin began rolling out Quartz, a global ground-station network intended to support spacecraft communications. Blue Origin has partnered with RBC Signals for the initial buildout. Ground stations have been installed in Bermuda, New Zealand and Australia, and it plans to install ground systems at six additional sites by the end of 2026.
TeraWave
Blue Origin plans to enter the satellite internet market in 2027. In January 2026, the company unveiled its TeraWave project, which would differentiate itself from competitors by providing high performance for enterprise, data center and government customers. TeraWave could provide up to 6 terabits per second of connectivity using radio frequency and optical links. Deployment is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027.
Project Sunrise
Blue Origin also plans to enter the growing orbital data center market through an ambitious effort known as Project Sunrise. In March 2026, the company filed paperwork with the FCC to build a constellation of more than 51,000 satellites that would provide in-space computing services. The company argued that solar-powered satellites would provide a more efficient source of computing power than data centers on Earth, which are limited by power, water and land constraints.
By building orbital data centers, Blue Origin would again be competing with SpaceX, which aims to produce 1 terawatt of computing power from space. The timeline of Project Sunrise has not been announced, but experts told TechCrunch that it would be unlikely to come to fruition until the 2030s.
Orbital Reef
Blue Origin, in partnership with Sierra Space and other companies, is developing a commercial space station in low-Earth orbit called Orbital Reef. The company said it will serve as a “mixed-use business park,” providing research, industrial and commercial customers with essential infrastructure and services.
Blue Origin will provide the utility systems, large-diameter core modules and the New Glenn launch system, while Sierra Space will provide the Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) module, node module and DreamChaser spaceplane capable of landing on runways throughout the world. Other research equipment and spacecraft will be provided by Boeing, Redwire Space and Genesis Engineering Solutions.
When Blue Origin announced the project in 2021, it predicted the station would begin operations between 2025 and 2030. In 2025, NASA reported that Orbital Reef completed human-in-the-loop testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Jeff Bezos still own Blue Origin?
Yes, Jeff Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000 and remains the owner of the company. After decades of financing the company himself, CNBC reported Bezos is seeking to raise $10 billion in funding from outside investors.
Did a Blue Origin rocket explode?
Yes, a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded in May 2026 during a hot-fire ground test at Cape Canaveral. The explosion, caused by a faulty oxygen valve, destroyed the vehicle and damaged the launchpad, delaying future flights. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed by the explosion.
How is Blue Origin different from SpaceX?
While SpaceX leads the commercial space sector with high launch frequencies and Starlink, Blue Origin historically focused on suborbital tourism before expanding into heavy rockets, lunar landers, enterprise satellite networks, and commercial space stations to rival its competitor.
