Blue Origin, founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, is an American aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company. It develops reusable rocket engines, launch vehicles like New Shepard and New Glenn, in-space systems, and lunar landers such as Blue Moon. Blue Origin is also a NASA partner, collaborating on the Artemis program for lunar exploration and working towards a sustainable human presence on the Moon, with partners like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Draper. Key activities include space tourism, satellite deployment capabilities, and advancing technologies to lower space travel costs.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
Blue Origin is testing the BE-4 extensively at its facility in West Texas and will build two qualification engines for further testing before delivering two flight engines to ULA for integration at the Decatur factory.
Blue Origin’s complaint to the GAO seeks clarification on points the company raised with the Air Force in written comments and meetings.
The Air Force awarded a Launch Service Agreement in 2018 to Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance, and Northrop Grumman to help pay for rocket development and infrastructure.
Blue Origin contends that awarding exclusive five-year contracts to only two providers will perpetuate a market duopoly in national security space launch and raise launch prices.
Blue Origin argues that the Phase 2 RFP discriminates against new competitors by requiring bidders to offer a backup launch vehicle.
United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, and Blue Origin are developing new rockets and upgrading existing vehicles for the Phase 2 competition.
Bob Smith, chief executive of Blue Origin, submitted a 2019-07-14 letter concluding that the NPRM does not achieve goals for U.S. commercial space leadership, public safety, or national security and that some proposed regulations would stifle innovation.
Blue Origin was one of the 11 companies selected under NextSTEP Appendix E.
Blue Origin completed a six-minute full-duration test firing of the BE-7 engine that the company is developing for Blue Moon.
United Launch Alliance and Northrop Grumman have aligned themselves with the Air Force position on Phase 2, SpaceX supports retaining the $500,000,000 fund, and Blue Origin supports the provision to allow more competitors in Phase 2 after 29 launches.
The U.S. Air Force will select two providers next year from a field that includes Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, and ULA for NSSL Phase 2.
Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman have begun building launch pads on the East Coast but do not yet have capability to launch from Vandenberg.
Blue Origin announced the BE-7 engine during a 2019-05-09 event where Jeff Bezos unveiled an updated design of the Blue Moon lander.
Blue Origin received one of 11 NASA contracts on 2019-05-16 for studies and initial prototype development of lunar lander descent stages and transfer vehicles.
Blue Origin performed the first hotfire test of its BE-7 engine at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on 2019-06-19.
Stephanie Koster worked for six years at Blue Origin as director and treasurer overseeing Blue Origin’s financial operations.
Blue Origin sought the Air Force to select three providers in Phase 2 and to shorten the contract period to three years but the Air Force maintained a two-provider strategy.
In October 2018 the Air Force awarded $3,200,000,000 in Launch Service Agreement contracts to United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, and Northrop Grumman.
Blue Origin unveiled a full-sized model of its Blue Moon lander on 2019-05-09 at the Washington Convention Center.
Blue Origin foresees having an initial Blue Moon descent stage ready to fly in 2023 and a stretched version with an ascent stage tested and ready to carry astronauts in 2024.