New Shepard
A small reusable rocket and capsule that has taken paying passengers and research experiments on brief trips to the edge of space.
Why it matters
It flew dozens of paying passengers and experiments on 38 suborbital flights after 2021. The pause shows Blue Origin shifting people and money to Moon work.
How the technology works
A 60-foot reusable rocket launches a capsule about 70 miles high. The booster then returns and lands upright on a concrete pad, a technique Blue Origin later used for New Glenn.
Sources
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction