New Shepard

Blue Origin flies six on first New Shepard suborbital flight of 2022
Blue Origin launched its New Shepard suborbital vehicle on its first flight of the year March 31, carrying six people on a brief trip to space and back.

Blue Origin to increase New Shepard launches in 2022
Blue Origin expects to more than double the number of people it flies on its New Shepard suborbital system this year while adding another vehicle to its fleet.

Crypto entrepreneur to go to space on New Shepard
A controversial Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur revealed he submitted the high bid for a seat on Blue Origin’s first crewed suborbital launch earlier this year and, after missing that flight, is buying a dedicated New Shepard flight in 2022.

Blue Origin launches first six-person New Shepard suborbital flight
Blue Origin launched its third crewed New Shepard suborbital mission Dec. 11, carrying six people on a brief flight to the edge of space.

Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic select astronauts for future flights
Virgin Galactic has selected the winner of a contest to fly on a future SpaceShipTwo suborbital flight while Blue Origin prepares for its first New Shepard launch with a full six-person crew.

Blue Origin astronaut dies in plane crash
A biomedical entrepreneur who flew on Blue Origin’s second crewed suborbital spaceflight died in a plane crash Nov. 11.

Blue Origin launches second crewed New Shepard mission
Blue Origin launched Star Trek actor William Shatner and three others into space on a brief suborbital flight Oct. 13, the second crewed flight of the company’s New Shepard vehicle.

Star Trek’s William Shatner to fly on next New Shepard flight
Blue Origin confirmed Oct. 4 that William Shatner, the actor best known at Capt. James T. Kirk from the original “Star Trek” TV series and movies, will fly on the company’s next New Shepard suborbital flight this month.

FAA reviewing Blue Origin safety allegations
The FAA says it is reviewing allegations about safety issues at Blue Origin raised in an explosive essay by a group of current and former employees.

Blue Origin flies payloads on latest New Shepard flight
Blue Origin launched a New Shepard suborbital vehicle Aug. 25 on a mission carrying research and educational payloads as the company prepares for its next crewed flight.

Blue Origin to perform first New Shepard launch under updated license
Blue Origin will conduct its next New Shepard suborbital mission Aug. 25 with a set of research payloads, but not people, on board on the vehicle’s first flight under a revised launch license.

New Shepard astronauts rave about suborbital spaceflight experience as Bezos faces backlash
Jeff Bezos and the others who were on the first crewed flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital vehicle hailed the experience as better than expected, but Bezos is facing a backlash for spending part of his extreme wealth on space.

Blue Origin launches Bezos on first crewed New Shepard flight
Blue Origin performed its first crewed New Shepard launch July 20, sending company founder Jeff Bezos and three other people on a suborbital flight.

Blue Origin ready for first crewed New Shepard launch
Blue Origin is on track to perform the first crewed launch of its New Shepard vehicle July 20, carrying company founder Jeff Bezos and three others on a suborbital spaceflight.

Dutch teenager to fly on New Shepard
An 18-year-old Dutch man will fly on Blue Origin’s first crewed New Shepard suborbital flight, taking the place of the unidentified winner of an auction last month for the seat.

Blue Origin donates New Shepard auction proceeds to space nonprofit groups
With less than a week before its first crewed suborbital spaceflight, Blue Origin is distributing some of the proceeds from an auction for one of the seats on that flight to a group of space-related non-profit organizations.

Branson flies to edge of space on SpaceShipTwo
Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson and five other people flew to the edge of space on the company’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle July 11, the culmination of an effort that started nearly 17 years ago.

Branson to be on next SpaceShipTwo flight July 11
Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson will be on the company’s next flight of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle July 11, going to space days before fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos.

Blue Origin to fly Mercury 13 woman on first crewed New Shepard flight
Blue Origin announced July 1 that it will fly one of the “Mercury 13” women who underwent astronaut training in the early years of the space program on the company’s first crewed New Shepard suborbital flight.

Blue Origin auctions New Shepard seat for $28 million
A seat on the first crewed flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital vehicle sold for $28 million at an auction June 12.