Blue Origin pauses space tourism flights for lunar lander mission
What's the story
Jeff Bezos's space venture, Blue Origin, has announced a two-year hiatus from its space tourism flights. The company will be focusing all its resources on upcoming Moon missions during this period. The decision comes just weeks ahead of the planned third launch of its New Glenn mega-rocket, which is scheduled for late February.
Lunar focus
New Glenn launch delayed due to lunar lander mission
The decision to pause space tourism flights comes as Blue Origin prepares for its next big step: a robotic lunar lander mission. The company had planned to use the third New Glenn launch for this purpose, but the spacecraft is still being tested at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas. "The decision reflects Blue Origin's commitment to the nation's goal of returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent, sustained lunar presence," said the company in a statement.
Mission history
New Shepard rocket has completed 38 flights
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, which first flew over a decade ago, has completed 38 flights and taken 98 people to space. The reusable vehicle has been used for space tourism flights and scientific missions. However, unlike SpaceX's Falcon 9, it was never meant to reach Earth orbit. Each flight gives passengers around four minutes of weightlessness in Blue Origin's space capsule.
Future plans
Blue Origin's Moon mission
Blue Origin has a contract to land NASA astronauts on the Moon using its Blue Moon spacecraft. The first such mission is planned for 2029. However, a pathfinder version of Blue Moon will be launched on a robotic demonstration mission to the lunar surface later this year. This move highlights the company's commitment to advancing its human lunar capabilities as part of America's broader goal of establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon.