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.
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In return for the 2018–2020 investment, Blue Origin was required to provide limited rights to data and hardware developed under the Launch Service Agreement.
Space Systems Command terminated the Launch Service Agreement in December 2020 after Blue Origin lost to United Launch Alliance and SpaceX in the NSSL Phase 2 launch services competition.
Space Systems Command signed a cooperative research and development agreement with Blue Origin on 2022-11-18 to enable New Glenn to compete for national security launch contracts once it completes the required flight certification.
The New Glenn booster will be powered by seven BE-4 engines that Blue Origin developed jointly with United Launch Alliance.
Space Systems Command terminated Blue Origin’s Launch Service Agreement in December 2020 after the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 winners were announced.
Under the CRADA Blue Origin must successfully complete certification flights and provide design and qualification data to enable AATS to conduct its independent verification and validation process.
The CRADA signing restarts New Glenn certification activities that began in 2018 when Blue Origin won a Launch Service Agreement.
Blue Origin completed testing of the BE-4 main booster engines and delivered the first two BE-4 engines for Vulcan’s maiden flight.
Blue Origin completed delivery of the first BE-4 shipset to United Launch Alliance and shipped the engines to ULA’s factory in Decatur, Alabama after final acceptance testing.
Each Blue Origin BE-4 engine provides 249,476 kg of thrust.
Blue Origin and Sierra Space developed the Orbital Reef commercial space station concept and provided a modest update on their plans at the IAC in Paris.
The first Vulcan launch vehicle is nearing completion in United Launch Alliance’s factory in Decatur, Alabama and is awaiting installation of BE-4 engines developed by Blue Origin.
Amazon has secured up to 92 launches with United Launch Alliance, Arianespace, and Blue Origin to deploy a Project Kuiper constellation of 3,236 satellites.
Sierra Space is partnering with Blue Origin and other companies to develop the Orbital Reef commercial space station.
United Launch Alliance and SpaceX were selected over Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman for the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contract in August 2020.
Blue Origin executive Jarrett Jones attended World Satellite Business Week on 2022-09-13 and cautioned that it was premature to assume the BE-3 engine was involved in the NS-23 failure.
BE-4 engines for Vulcan’s first stage are being tested at Blue Origin’s West Texas facility and will be delivered to ULA’s factory in Decatur, Alabama in the coming weeks.
Blue Origin expects the first New Glenn launch sometime in 2023, with the company planning to launch when aligned with the customer and ready.
Blue Origin plans to use a version of the BE-3 called the BE-3U on the upper stage of the New Glenn orbital rocket.
Blue Origin’s launch escape system functioned as planned on the 2022-09-12 New Shepard flight and there was no visible damage to payloads from the abort event.