Blue Origin, the private spaceflight company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has effectively ended its suborbital space tourism program. The New Shepard project, which had been in operation since 2015, has laid the groundwork for future success, but will now focus on accelerating its human lunar capabilities with the development of New Glenn.
This decision comes as a surprise to many within the company, including some employees who have spent years working on the program. Despite being profitable and having flown over 98 people into space, the program was deemed too resource-intensive by Blue Origin's leadership. The shift in focus will allow the company to redirect its resources towards more ambitious goals, such as establishing a permanent lunar presence.
The cancellation of New Shepard also marks a significant shift in the company's priorities, away from luxury space tourism and towards more practical applications. This move is likely to benefit NASA, which has been counting on Blue Origin to compete with SpaceX for contracts to land humans on the Moon as part of the Artemis Program.
While some may lament the loss of opportunities for individuals to experience space travel, the decision to end New Shepard will ultimately be seen as a positive step forward for the US space industry. By focusing on more practical goals, Blue Origin can help drive innovation and access to space, which is essential for securing the nation's position in the cosmos.
In a company-wide email, senior vice president Phil Joyce praised the team for their accomplishments, saying that the program had laid the groundwork for future success. However, it's clear that this decision was made by Bezos himself, and is intended to accelerate the company's efforts towards more ambitious goals.
This decision comes as a surprise to many within the company, including some employees who have spent years working on the program. Despite being profitable and having flown over 98 people into space, the program was deemed too resource-intensive by Blue Origin's leadership. The shift in focus will allow the company to redirect its resources towards more ambitious goals, such as establishing a permanent lunar presence.
The cancellation of New Shepard also marks a significant shift in the company's priorities, away from luxury space tourism and towards more practical applications. This move is likely to benefit NASA, which has been counting on Blue Origin to compete with SpaceX for contracts to land humans on the Moon as part of the Artemis Program.
While some may lament the loss of opportunities for individuals to experience space travel, the decision to end New Shepard will ultimately be seen as a positive step forward for the US space industry. By focusing on more practical goals, Blue Origin can help drive innovation and access to space, which is essential for securing the nation's position in the cosmos.
In a company-wide email, senior vice president Phil Joyce praised the team for their accomplishments, saying that the program had laid the groundwork for future success. However, it's clear that this decision was made by Bezos himself, and is intended to accelerate the company's efforts towards more ambitious goals.
. I mean, who wouldn't want to experience weightlessness and see the Earth from space? 
It was such a cool opportunity for people to push the boundaries of what's possible, especially kids 
. Now it seems like Blue Origin is shifting its focus to more practical goals like establishing a permanent lunar presence 
. While I get why that's important, I wish they wouldn't give up on space tourism altogether 
. Can you imagine if we could make space travel more accessible and affordable for everyone? 
It would be amazing to see people from all walks of life blasting off into the great unknown 
.
gotta say, I'm kinda surprised they're canceling New Shepard now that it's been running smoothly since 2015. didn't see that coming 
. but on a bigger scale, it makes total sense for Bezos to shift focus to lunar capabilities - we need private companies pushing the boundaries of space travel and exploration ASAP 
️. I mean, think about it, having a permanent lunar presence could be a game-changer for scientific research, resource utilization, and even future human settlements 
!
. On one hand, you've got people who are sad to see the New Shepard program go, but on the other hand, it's a huge win for NASA and SpaceX 
. I mean, think about it, if Blue Origin is diverting its resources towards more practical applications, that means there's gonna be more competition for contracts with NASA 
. It's like Bezos himself said, this move is all about accelerating the company's efforts towards more ambitious goals 
. But for real though, this move is all about innovation and access to space, and I'm here for it 
. The US space industry needs more companies like Blue Origin pushin' the boundaries and makin' it happen 
I mean, what's up with that? They just shut down New Shepard after taking so many people to space already? Like, 98 people! You'd think they'd wanna keep offering that kinda thing, especially if it's been making them some cash. But nope, now they're focusing on "permanent lunar presence"... sounds like a fancy way of saying "we're trying to make a billion bucks off the moon or something". And good luck with that, I guess 
. It's all about the Benjamins, right?
. That makes sense, I suppose. They need to keep pushing the boundaries of space travel if they wanna stay ahead of SpaceX 
.
they cancelled New Shepard... all those people who paid good money to fly on a glorified rollercoaster were just pawns in Bezos' game of space industrialization. Now the focus shifts to "practical applications" which code for exploiting NASA contracts and getting richer off government funding 
!
. Bezos made the call, and I'm sure it was a tough one for some employees who'd been working on New Shepard for years, but like, progress is slow and incremental, you know? And let's be real, its not all about space tourism - there are bigger goals to achieve here 
. It's all about driving innovation and access to space, right? 
I'm kinda bummed about Blue Origin shutting down its suborbital space tourism program. I mean, who wouldn't want to experience weightlessness and see the curvature of the Earth? 
But at the same time, it makes total sense for Jeff Bezos' vision - he's all about making humanity a multi-planetary species, right?