https://spacewatch.global/tag/blue-origin/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:04:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://spacewatch.global/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SpaceWatchGlobal-Sign-90x90.png https://spacewatch.global/tag/blue-origin/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/blue-origins-third-new-glenn-launch-mission-fails-to-deploy-payload-satellite-in-desired-orbit/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=73227 Blue Origin's New Glenn 3 mission has unsuccessfully launched AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite after failing to put the satellite into the desired orbit. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/03/intuitive-machines-win-180-4m-nasa-clps-contract-for-lunar-payload-delivery/ Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=72319 Intuitive Machines has won a $180.4 million NASA contract to deliver seven science and technology payloads to the Lunar South Pole Region under the agency's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. The contract award is Intuitive Machines’ fifth CLPS task order but the first to require a larger Nova-D lunar lander to deliver science and technology payloads and return valuable data, while operating autonomously on the lunar surface.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/03/nasa-adds-mission-to-artemis-lunar-program-and-updates-mission-architecture/ Mon, 02 Mar 2026 07:00:06 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=71603 NASA is increasing its cadence of missions under the Artemis program to achieve the national objective of returning American astronauts to the Moon and establishing an enduring presence. As a result, the Agency is standardizing its vehicle configuration, adding an additional mission in 2027, and undertaking at least one surface landing every year thereafter.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/01/blue-origin-introduces-terawave-a-6-tbps-space-based-network-for-global-connectivity/ Fri, 23 Jan 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70645 Blue Origin has announced TeraWave, a satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth towards servicing tens of thousands of enterprise, data center, and government users who require reliable connectivity for critical operations.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/01/spacewatchgl-opinion-pax-technologica/ Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70327
Written by Giles Rabin
The year 2025 will be a landmark year, with the confirmed return to flight of Ariane 6 and its remarkable ramp-up, the appointment of a “next-former” NASA administrator, SpaceX's Fordist launch figures, and the arrival of the New Glenn heavy-lift launcher. We are entering an industrial era of space travel, where the former craft of space travel is becoming an industry like any other, producing massively with economies of scale. With New Glenn and Starship, weight is no longer a constraint, and the cost per kg in low orbit is approaching the price per kg of a parcel sent to another continent by express delivery.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/12/spacewatchgl-opinion-americas-new-security-strategy-a-careful-diagnosis/ Tue, 30 Dec 2025 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70065
Written by K. P. Ludwig
In its new security strategy, the United States no longer presents itself as the guarantor of order within a cooperative Western community, but as an economic and military power determined to enforce its interests against anyone - including states that have long been considered indispensable allies and reliable partners. In unusually blunt terms, Washington sets out its security and industrial priorities: the restoration of American economic dominance, technological supremacy, and military control of critical domains, above all in outer space. Diplomatic consideration for its European partners plays only a subordinate role.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/12/former-ula-ceo-tory-bruno-has-been-appointed-to-head-blue-origins-new-national-security-unit/ Tue, 30 Dec 2025 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=70071 Blue Origin has announced the appointment of Tory Bruno, former United Launch Alliance (ULA) CEO, as president of the company's newly-formed National Security Group. This comes days after Bruno stepped down from his CEO position at ULA after nearly a decade. Bruno's appointment demonstrates Blue Origin's desire to expands its role in U.S. defense and intelligence space missions. In his new role, he will subsequently report directly to Blue Origin's CEO, Dave Limp. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/12/blue-origin-completes-37th-new-shepard-mission-and-last-mission-of-2025/ Mon, 22 Dec 2025 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=69991 Blue Origin has successfully launched the 37th flight of the New Shepard program with a crew that includes Michaela (Michi) Benthaus, Joey Hyde, Hans Koenigsmann, Neal Milch, Adonis Pouroulis, and Jason Stansell. Altogether, New Shepard has now flown 92 people (86 individuals) into space. The mission launched on Saturday, December 20, after standing down from its initial launch date of 18 December, after the launch team observed an issue with New Shepard's built-in checks prior to the flight.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/11/blue-origins-new-glenn-vehicle-launches-rocket-labs-explorer-satellites-on-nasas-escapade-mission/ Fri, 14 Nov 2025 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=68976 The New Glenn orbital launch vehicle has completed its second mission, successfully deploying NASA's ESCAPADE twin-spacecraft. The launch took place from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The NASA and University of California Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory ESCAPADE mission will use the pair of identical spacecraft to investigate how the solar wind interacts with Mars’ magnetic environment and how this interaction drives the Red Planet’s atmospheric escape. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/09/nasa-selects-blue-origin-to-deliver-viper-rover-to-moons-south-pole/ Wed, 24 Sep 2025 06:00:15 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=67930 NASA has awarded Blue Origin a CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) task order with an option to deliver a rover to the Moon’s South Pole region, as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign. The CLPS task order has a total potential value of $190 million.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/07/iaf-announces-recipients-of-2025-iaf-world-space-award/ Thu, 31 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=66564 The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) announced the recipients of its most prestigious award: the IAF World Space Award 2025.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/06/the-space-cafe-podcast-134-with-heather-nelson/ Wed, 18 Jun 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=65848 Heather Nelson, Director of the Club for the Future at Blue Origin, is at the forefront of inspiring the next generation to dream boldly about humanity’s role as an interplanetary species. In this expansive conversation, Heather provides a rare peek behind the curtain of Blue Origin’s ambitious plans and philosophical vision for the future of humankind both on Earth and beyond.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/04/amazon-launches-first-batch-of-project-kuiper-satellites-aboard-atlas-v/ Wed, 30 Apr 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=65109 Amazon has launched 27 Project Kuiper satellites on its KA-01 mission aboard ULA's Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The 27 satellites represent the first batch of Amazon's Kuiper broadband internet constellation of 3,236 satellites to compete with SpaceX's Starlink by delivering fast, reliable internet globally. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/04/blue-origin-launches-all-female-crew-aboard-ns-31-mission/ Thu, 17 Apr 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=64954 Blue Origin successfully completed its 11th human spaceflight for the New Shepard program, featuring an all-female crew. The suborbital mission lifted off from Launch Site One in West Texas on Monday, April 14, lasting about 11 minutes]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/04/spacex-ula-and-blue-origin-win-ussf-rocket-launch-contracts/ Mon, 07 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=64741 SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and Blue Origin have each won U.S. Space Force (USSF) rocket launch contracts worth a combined $13.5 billion. The contracts revolve around the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 2 launch service procurement and will see the space companies and will run till April 2033. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/01/blue-origin-launches-new-glenn-rocket-on-maiden-mission/ Thu, 16 Jan 2025 07:00:56 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=63453 Blue Origin launched New Glenn to orbit earlier today, carrying the company's Blue Ring Pathfinder payload. New Glenn’s seven BE-4 engines ignited at 2:03 a.m. EST (07:03 UTC) from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, marking the rocket's first National Security Space Launch certification flight.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/06/sera-and-nasrda-partner-to-send-first-nigerian-to-space/ Thu, 20 Jun 2024 08:00:45 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=55731 The Space Exploration & Research Agency (SERA) and the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) today announced a groundbreaking partnership to send the first Nigerian into space. Under the partnership, SERA will reserve a seat on an upcoming Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital spaceflight for a Nigerian citizen as part of a broader SERA-led initiative, in partnership with Blue Origin, to send six individuals from nations historically underrepresented in space exploration.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/06/ssc-awards-contracts-to-blue-origin-spacex-and-ula/ Fri, 14 Jun 2024 06:00:32 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=55668 The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 contracts to Blue Origin, SpaceX, and ULA. The base Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) award includes Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Task Orders to each awardee to conduct an initial capabilities assessment and provide explanations of how they will approach tailored mission assurance.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/05/the-exploration-company-appoints-kirasich-as-vp-us-operations/ Thu, 16 May 2024 06:00:32 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=55205 The Exploration Company has announced the appointment of Mark Kirasich as its VP of US Operations to further strengthen the company's position in the industry, especially for the NASA certification of its vehicle, and its growth towards lunar missions and human space flight. Mark Kirasich will consequently oversee all aspects of the company's operations in the United States. Furthermore, his extensive background in human spaceflight, flight operations and lunar vehicles will be instrumental in driving the company's growth in the USA.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/03/vast-announces-claw-mowry-as-newest-advisor/ Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:00:47 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=54400 Vast, a space habitation technologies company, has announced the appointment of Clay Mowry as its newest Advisor. Mowry’s career spans over two decades in the commercial launch, satellite, and space station sectors. Furthermore, as President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), Mowry is a globally recognized leader in the space community, within industry and government alike.]]>