Blue Origin

Our reusable suborbital launch vehicle is taking payloads and you to space.

Created: 2018-11-01

Updated: 2022-09-18

Classification

Human Spaceflight & Landers

Category

Microgravity Flight Service (Suborbital)
Human Landing System
ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilization)

Fields

Suborbital
Orbital Microfabrication
Moon
Nuclear Propulsion

Status

1) Active

First launch

2015

Designed to take astronauts and research payloads past the Kármán line. Whether you are an astronaut flying with Blue Origin or sending a payload to space, your 11-minute flight on New Shepard will be the experience of a lifetime.
Vision to enable a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes in the need to enable humanity to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space.
Looking for Orbital Habitat Formulation Lead at the end of 2020 to develop Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space and to establish viable LEO destination systems in the 2020s.

One of the 3 awardees for the NASA Lunar Human Landing System.
Blue Origin is the prime contractor for the National Team that includes Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper. Their Integrated Lander Vehicle (ILV) is a three-stage lander that harnesses the proven spaceflight heritage of each team.  
Blue Origin will build the descent element which is powered by BE-7 cryogenic engines three years in private development, with cryogenic technologies now under Tipping Point support. Lockheed will build the ascent element that includes the crew cabin, which will have significant commonality with Orion. Northrop Grumman will build the transfer element based largely on its Cygnus cargo module that services the International Space Station. Northrop Grumman is also leading development of a future refueling element for a sustainable lander demonstration. Draper will provide the guidance, navigation and control, avionics, and software systems that draw largely on similar systems the company has developed for NASA.  
In their proposal, the National Team outlines a plan in which the ILV can dock with either Orion or the Gateway to await crew arrival. The Blue Origin National Team’s elements for the Human Landing System can be launched individually on commercial rockets or combined to launch on NASA’s Space Launch System.
Under a program called DRACO, short for demonstration rocket for agile cislunar operations, DARPA wants to demonstrate nuclear thermal propulsion technology — using a nuclear reactor to heat up rocket fuel to generate thrust. DARPA awarded General Atomics a $22 million contract to develop the nuclear reactor. Lockheed Martin’s contract value is $2.9 million and the Blue Origin’s is $2.5 million.
Blue Origin is hiring two full-time engineering positions completely focused on ISRU for the Moon and beyond.

Classification

Space Stations & Habitats

Category

Commercial Space Station

Status

3) Development

First launch

2025

Blue Origin and Sierra Space have partnered to develop Orbital Reef, a commercially owned and operated space station to be built in low-Earth orbit, which will start operating in the second half of this decade.

Orbital Reef teammates include Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering, and Arizona State University. Orbital Reef’s human-centered space architecture is designed to be a “mixed-use space business park” that provides essential infrastructure needed to support all types of human spaceflight activity in low-Earth orbit and can be scaled to serve new markets.
The station’s shared infrastructure will support the proprietary needs of diverse U.S. and international users, tenants, and visitors, including those representing research, industry, government, and the commercial sector. Features such as reusable space transportation and advanced automation can minimize cost and complexity to enable the widest range of users. Accommodations, vehicle docking ports, and utilities can all be scaled with growth in market demand.
[NASA awarded $130 million to develop designs of space stations and other commercial destinations in space. ](http://NASA awarded $130 million to develop designs of space stations and other commercial destinations in space.)

Updated: 2022-09-18

Classification

Human Spaceflight & Landers

Category

Microgravity Flight Service (Suborbital)
Human Landing System
ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilization)

Fields

Suborbital
Orbital Microfabrication
Moon
Nuclear Propulsion

Status

3) Development

First launch

2015

Our reusable suborbital launch vehicle is taking payloads and you to space.

Designed to take astronauts and research payloads past the Kármán line. Whether you are an astronaut flying with Blue Origin or sending a payload to space, your 11-minute flight on New Shepard will be the experience of a lifetime.
Vision to enable a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes in the need to enable humanity to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space.
Looking for Orbital Habitat Formulation Lead at the end of 2020 to develop Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space and to establish viable LEO destination systems in the 2020s.

One of the 3 awardees for the NASA Lunar Human Landing System.
Blue Origin is the prime contractor for the National Team that includes Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper. Their Integrated Lander Vehicle (ILV) is a three-stage lander that harnesses the proven spaceflight heritage of each team.  
Blue Origin will build the descent element which is powered by BE-7 cryogenic engines three years in private development, with cryogenic technologies now under Tipping Point support. Lockheed will build the ascent element that includes the crew cabin, which will have significant commonality with Orion. Northrop Grumman will build the transfer element based largely on its Cygnus cargo module that services the International Space Station. Northrop Grumman is also leading development of a future refueling element for a sustainable lander demonstration. Draper will provide the guidance, navigation and control, avionics, and software systems that draw largely on similar systems the company has developed for NASA.  
In their proposal, the National Team outlines a plan in which the ILV can dock with either Orion or the Gateway to await crew arrival. The Blue Origin National Team’s elements for the Human Landing System can be launched individually on commercial rockets or combined to launch on NASA’s Space Launch System.
Under a program called DRACO, short for demonstration rocket for agile cislunar operations, DARPA wants to demonstrate nuclear thermal propulsion technology — using a nuclear reactor to heat up rocket fuel to generate thrust. DARPA awarded General Atomics a $22 million contract to develop the nuclear reactor. Lockheed Martin’s contract value is $2.9 million and the Blue Origin’s is $2.5 million.
Blue Origin is hiring two full-time engineering positions completely focused on ISRU for the Moon and beyond.

Updated: 2022-09-18

[1] https://www.blueorigin.com/

[2] https://blueorigin.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/BlueOrigin/job/Kent-WA/Orbital-Habitat-Formulation-Lead_R4688

[3] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/blue-origin_gradatimferociter-activity-6634120828952940544-mg2W/

[4] https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-selects-blue-origin-dynetics-spacex-for-artemis-human-landers