Blue Origin, LLC
Company History
Blue Origin History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 2000 in Kent, Washington
When was Blue Origin founded?
Blue Origin was founded in 2000 in Kent, Washington by Jeff Bezos, making it 26 years old.
- Founded
- 2000
- Founding place
- Kent, Washington
- Founders
- Jeff Bezos
- Headquarters today
- Kent, Washington, United States
- Milestones documented
- 15 (2000–2026)
- Current CEO
- Dave Limp
- Acquisitions
- 1
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Jeff Bezos founds Blue Origin in Kent, Washington |
| 2006 | First test flight at Launch Site One in West Texas |
| 2015 | New Shepard lands vertically after reaching space |
| 2016 | New Glenn unveiled |
| 2021 | Jeff Bezos flies on the first crewed New Shepard |
| 2023 | NASA picks Blue Moon as its second Artemis lander |
| 2023 | Dave Limp named CEO |
| 2025 | New Glenn reaches orbit on its first flight |
| 2025 | About 10 percent of staff laid off |
| 2025 | Space Force national security launch contract |
| 2025 | First booster landing on NASA ESCAPADE launch |
| 2026 | New Shepard paused for at least two years |
| 2026 | First booster reuse on NG-3 |
| 2026 | New Glenn explodes during a static fire |
| 2026 | First outside funding round |
- Where was Blue Origin founded?
- Blue Origin was founded in Kent, Washington in 2000.
- Who founded Blue Origin?
- Blue Origin was founded by Jeff Bezos.
- When did Blue Origin start?
- Blue Origin was founded in 2000.
- How old is Blue Origin?
- Blue Origin is 26 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Bezos founded Blue Origin in Kent, Washington, in September 2000, six years after starting Amazon. He had talked about space since high school, and the company's long-range thinking drew on Princeton physicist Gerard K. O'Neill's ideas about building industry in space. Blue Origin said little in public for years. Bezos bought ranch land north of Van Horn in West Texas, which became Launch Site One, and the first test vehicle, Goddard, flew there in November 2006 to an altitude of 285 feet.
Founders
Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000 and has funded it ever since, about $30 billion by the Wall Street Journal's September 2026 count, including $2 billion in the company's first outside round. He gave it the motto 'Gradatim Ferociter' and the long-range goal of moving heavy industry off Earth. He flew on New Shepard's first crewed flight on July 20, 2021, the month he stepped down as Amazon's chief executive, and in 2023 hired Amazon devices chief Dave Limp to run Blue Origin. Jeff Bezos was born in 1964 in Albuquerque. Education: Miami Palmetto High School; River Oaks Elementary School.
Key Milestones
Jeff Bezos founds Blue Origin in Kent, Washington
Bezos incorporated the company on September 8, 2000, with the long-range goal of millions of people living and working in space.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFirst test flight at Launch Site One in West Texas
The Goddard test vehicle flew in November 2006 from Blue Origin's ranch north of Van Horn, Texas, reaching 285 feet.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNew Shepard lands vertically after reaching space
On November 23, 2015, New Shepard became the first rocket to fly to space and land vertically back on Earth.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNew Glenn unveiled
Blue Origin released the high-level design and name of New Glenn, a 7-meter-wide heavy-lift rocket powered by BE-4 engines, in September 2016.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgJeff Bezos flies on the first crewed New Shepard
Mission NS-16 on July 20, 2021, carried Jeff Bezos, Mark Bezos, Wally Funk and Oliver Daemen past the Karman line.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNASA picks Blue Moon as its second Artemis lander
NASA awarded Blue Origin a $3.4 billion contract on May 19, 2023, to develop the Blue Moon human landing system.
Source: nasa.govDave Limp named CEO
Blue Origin said in September 2023 that former Amazon devices chief Dave Limp would replace Bob Smith; he took over in December.
Source: cnn.comNew Glenn reaches orbit on its first flight
New Glenn launched from Launch Complex 36 on January 16, 2025, and placed the Blue Ring Pathfinder in orbit.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAbout 10 percent of staff laid off
In February 2025 CEO Dave Limp cut about 10 percent of the workforce, saying the company had grown too fast.
Source: apnews.comSpace Force national security launch contract
In April 2025 the Space Force named Blue Origin a Phase 3 Lane 2 provider for up to seven missions worth about $2.4 billion.
Source: spaceforce.milFirst booster landing on NASA ESCAPADE launch
New Glenn's second flight on November 13, 2025, sent NASA's twin ESCAPADE Mars probes on their way and landed the booster on the ship Jacklyn.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNew Shepard paused for at least two years
On January 30, 2026, Blue Origin paused New Shepard tourism and research flights to move resources to lunar work.
Source: cnbc.comFirst booster reuse on NG-3
NG-3 on April 19, 2026, reflew a booster and landed it again, but an upper-stage anomaly left an AST SpaceMobile satellite in the wrong orbit.
Source: spaceflightnow.comNew Glenn explodes during a static fire
A New Glenn being prepared for a 48-satellite Amazon Leo launch exploded at Launch Complex 36 on May 28, 2026; the cause was traced to a BE-4 main oxygen valve.
Source: spaceflightnow.comFirst outside funding round
The Wall Street Journal reported in September 2026 that Blue Origin had raised $10 billion at a valuation of about $140 billion, its first outside capital.
Source: cnbc.comMajor Acquisitions
Honeybee Robotics
2022Added a space robotics company known for planetary drills, sampling tools and mechanisms built for NASA missions, including Mars rovers.
Keep researching Blue Origin
Blue Origin Company History FAQ
When was Blue Origin founded?
Jeff Bezos founded Blue Origin on September 8, 2000, in Kent, Washington, two years before Elon Musk started SpaceX.
What did Blue Origin do in its early years?
It worked quietly. Bezos bought ranch land north of Van Horn, Texas, for Launch Site One, and the first test vehicle, Goddard, flew there in November 2006. A PM2 test vehicle was lost in August 2011.
What happened on November 23, 2015?
New Shepard flew to space and landed its booster vertically, the first rocket to do so. SpaceX landed a Falcon 9 first stage a month later, on an orbital launch.
When did New Glenn first launch?
January 16, 2025. It reached orbit on the first try, though the booster was lost. The second flight, on November 13, 2025, launched NASA's ESCAPADE Mars probes and landed the booster.
What happened to Blue Origin in 2026?
It paused New Shepard in January, reflew a New Glenn booster in April, lost a rocket in a pad explosion on May 28, and raised its first outside funding, reportedly $10 billion, in September.
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