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Bezos's Blue Origin to 'pause' space tourism to focus on Moon efforts

Bezos's Blue Origin to 'pause' space tourism to focus on Moon efforts

by AFP Staff Writers
New York (AFP) Jan 30, 2026

Jeff Bezos's space company Blue Origin said Friday it would temporarily pause flights of its space tourism rocket to focus more resources on its lunar ambitions.

The company said in a statement it would "pause New Shepard flights for no less than two years" in order to "further accelerate development of the company's human lunar capabilities."

"The decision reflects Blue Origin's commitment to the nation's goal of returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent, sustained lunar presence," the statement read.

New Shepard is a reusable rocket that has carried dozens of humans across the Karman line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.

But Blue Origin also aims to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX in the orbital flight market.

Last year, the company founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos successfully carried out two uncrewed orbital flights using its massive New Glenn rocket, which is significantly more powerful than New Shepard.

Also last year, NASA said it was opening bids for a planned Moon mission, the third phase of the Artemis program, to compete against rival SpaceX, which the then-chief said was "behind."

Blue Origin currently has the contract for the fifth planned mission of the multibillion-dollar Artemis program.

US President Donald Trump's second term in the White House has seen the administration pile pressure on NASA to accelerate its progress to send a crewed mission to the Moon, as China carries out similar efforts.

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