Jeff Bezos’s space company Blue Origin announced Friday it will temporarily suspend flights of its New Shepard space tourism rocket to focus on lunar exploration, reports AFP.
In a statement, the company said it would “pause New Shepard flights for no less than two years” to “further accelerate development of the company’s human lunar capabilities.” The decision, it added, “reflects Blue Origin’s commitment to the nation’s goal of returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent, sustained lunar presence.”
New Shepard, a reusable rocket, has carried dozens of humans past the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. However, Blue Origin is increasingly focused on competing in the orbital flight market against Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Last year, Blue Origin conducted two successful uncrewed orbital flights using its New Glenn rocket, a significantly larger and more powerful vehicle than New Shepard. The company also holds the contract for the fifth planned mission of NASA’s multibillion-dollar Artemis program, part of the agency’s push to return humans to the Moon.
NASA recently invited bids for the third phase of the Artemis program, setting the stage for competition with SpaceX, whose technology has been described as “behind” in certain areas.
The announcement comes amid continued pressure from the U.S. government, including President Donald Trump’s second term policies, to accelerate lunar missions as China ramps up its own crewed Moon programs.
Blue Origin’s move signals a shift from commercial space tourism toward establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon, a strategic objective in the growing global race for space.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
