Blue Origin – Spaceflight Now

Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser prepares for pre-launch journey to the Cape

May 14, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

Many eyes are on both the payload and the rocket as the Department of Defense awaits its turn to launch missions with ULA’s Vulcan rocket.

News from the Press Site: A roundup of the week’s space news

March 8, 2024 Will Robinson-Smith

Join us for a roundup of the week’s space news with reporters covering the big stories. Spaceflight Now’s Will Robinson-Smith is joined by Irene Klotz, Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, and Richard Tribou, Space Reporter and Senior Content Editor for The Orlando Sentinel.

Blue Origin launches New Shepard rocket on return to flight mission

December 19, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

Blue Origin appears to be back in the suborbital business. Under a mostly sunny west Texas sky, the company launched its New Shepard suborbital rocket at roughly 10:43 a.m. CST (1643 UTC).

Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket set for return to flight mission

December 14, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

After more than a year of being sidelined, Blue Origin is preparing for a resurgence of its New Shepard rocket suborbital flights. The launch window for its uncrewed return-to-flight mission dubbed NS-24 opens on Monday at 9:30 a.m. CST (1530 UTC).

On-time Artemis landings by SpaceX, Blue Origin possible, but face “great challenges”

October 27, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

The head of NASA’s Human Landing System program sat down with Spaceflight Now to discuss the progress of getting humans back to the Moon for the first time since 1972.

Commercial space companies say cut red tape or U.S. will lose its lead in spaceflight

October 19, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic representatives all called for improvements to the regulatory framework that governs spaceflight operations during a Senate subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023.

Amazon unveils plans for $120 million satellite processing facility for its internet constellation

July 21, 2023 Will Robinson-Smith

On Friday, online retail giant amazon will join with members of Space Florida to reveal its plans for a 100,000-square-foot satellite processing facility located at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

ULA test-fires first Vulcan rocket at Cape Canaveral

June 7, 2023 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance’s first Vulcan Centaur rocket completed a critical test-firing of its Blue Origin-built BE-4 main engines Wednesday night, clearing one of two remaining technical hurdles before the launcher is cleared for its inaugural flight later this year.

ULA delays Vulcan test-firing to troubleshoot engine ignition system

May 26, 2023 Stephen Clark

United Launch Alliance called off a test-firing of the company’s first flight-rated Vulcan Centaur rocket at Cape Canaveral Thursday to troubleshoot a problem with the booster’s engine ignition system.

NASA awards Blue Origin $3.4 billion Artemis moon lander contract

May 19, 2023 William Harwood

Blue Origin, the rocket company owned by Amazon-founder Jeff Bezos, has won a $3.4 billion NASA contract to build an Artemis lunar lander that will provide a downstream alternative to the Starship variant already being developed by SpaceX, the agency announced Friday.