Bezos's Blue Origin goes 'all-in' to beat SpaceX to Moon
What's the story
Jeff Bezos's space venture, Blue Origin, is going all out to win the Moon race against SpaceX. The company's CEO, Dave Limp, said they would "move heaven and Earth" to achieve this goal. He stressed that America needs two launch companies competing with each other for maximum capabilities.
Employee transition
Transitioning New Shepard employees to expedite lunar mission
To expedite its lunar mission, Blue Origin is transitioning employees from its New Shepard space tourism program. Limp explained this decision as a way to leverage the talent working on New Shepard and accelerate their lunar and launch efforts. The company had previously announced the suspension of New Shepard flights, which were a major part of its business model.
Upcoming launches
NASA considering both SpaceX and Blue Origin for Moon landings
Blue Origin plans to launch and land a spacecraft for lunar cargo delivery as early as this year. The company also has a $3.4 billion contract to build a lander for NASA's Artemis missions. Despite SpaceX's Starship rocket being the initial choice for landing astronauts on the Moon, delays in development have prompted NASA to consider both SpaceX and Blue Origin for faster lander production.
Rocket progress
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket and upcoming launch preparations
Last year, Blue Origin unveiled its New Glenn orbital rocket and successfully landed it upright back on Earth. The company is now gearing up for the next New Glenn launch, which could happen in late February or early March. During a recent visit to Blue Origin's launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised the company saying "Blue Origin is going to do plenty of winning."