Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin announced on Jan. 30 that it is pausing flights of New Shepard, the company's flagship space-tourism rocket, to reallocate resources to its moon-lander program with NASA. The company framed the move as a temporary pause aimed at accelerating lunar lander development. The statement did not specify when New Shepard flights would resume.
Blue Origin Pauses New Shepard Flights to Prioritize NASA Moon-Lander Work
A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket lifts off with a crew of six from Launch Site One in west Texas, U.S. December 11, 2021. REUTERS/Joe Skipper
WASHINGTON, Jan 30 — Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin on Friday said it was "pausing" flights of New Shepard, the firm's flagship space-tourism rocket, to shift resources toward its moon-lander work with NASA.
In a brief statement, Blue Origin said the pause will allow the company to redeploy personnel and testing resources to support its lunar lander efforts. The company described the move as a temporary pause in New Shepard flights to focus on higher-priority development tied to the moon program.
"We are pausing New Shepard flights to concentrate resources on our moon lander work with NASA," the company said.
The announcement underscores the company's strategic pivot toward lunar development. The statement did not include a timeline for when New Shepard flights might resume.
(Reporting by Joey Roulette)
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