Blue Origin is pausing flights of its New Shepard rocket for at least two years as it shifts resources toward developing vehicles designed to land astronauts on the Moon.
In a statement Friday, the Kent, Wash.-based company said the move as aligning with U.S. government goals to return astronauts to the Moon and establish a long-term human presence there.
New Shepard, Blue Origin’s reusable suborbital rocket system, has been the company’s most visible and proven product, particularly after carrying celebrities and private passengers to space. The vehicle has flown 38 times since 2015, carried 98 people into space — including Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos — and launched more than 200 research payloads for customers including NASA and universities.
Despite that track record and a backlog of customers, the company says its top priority now is helping the U.S. return astronauts to the Moon.
Blue Origin is a major contractor on NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon. The company is leading development of the Blue Moon lunar lander, including a version designed to carry astronauts.
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