Kent-based Blue Origin’s New Shepard booster on the pad in West Texas after its sixth flight. COURTESY PHOTO, Blue Origin

Kent-based Blue Origin’s New Shepard booster on the pad in West Texas after its sixth flight. COURTESY PHOTO, Blue Origin

Kent-based Blue Origin’s mission a success

New Shepard launch in Texas

  • Wednesday, December 11, 2019 5:35pm
  • Business

New Shepard had a wholly successful mission on Wednesday in West Texas for Kent-based Blue Origin.

“This mission was another step towards verifying New Shepard for human spaceflight as we continue to mature the safety and reliability of the vehicle,” according to Blue Origin, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.

It marked the sixth flight for this particular New Shepard vehicle. Blue Origin has so far reused two boosters five times each consecutively, so today marks a record with this booster completing its sixth flight to space and back.

This particular rocket has been an operational payload vehicle for several flights, meaning there are no more updates to the system.

This was also the ninth commercial payload mission for New Shepard.

“We are proud to be have flown our 100th customer on board (with 23 customer payloads on board today),” according to Blue Origin. “Also on the vehicle were thousands of postcards from students around the world for our nonprofit Club for the Future. The club’s mission is to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM and help visualize the future of life in space.”

Blue Origin works with NASA and other companies to get astronauts back on the moon in 2024, and envisions a future where millions of people live and work in space.

Blue Origin’s engineering, manufacturing and business teams work in a 260,000 square-foot facility on 26 acres in Kent. The company is expanding the Kent facility this year after buying 31 acres in 2017 along 76th Avenue South between South 212th Street and South 218th Street.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in Business

A few Sound Publishing reporters joined local media in tasting the Mariners’ new season fare, finding the pork rib wings to be one the best items on the menu. (Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing)
Mariners unveil new ballpark eats for 2023 season

Our reporters sampled tasty barbecue, pizza, ice cream and more that will be served at T-Mobile Park.

t
Ingersoll Rand to close Kent facility; about 69 employees to lose jobs

Industrial machinery manufacturer based in North Carolina

t
Education and Workforce Summit set for Kent’s ShoWare Center

Presented by the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce

t
Kent’s Tents and Party Rents owner Bob Schlosser dies at age 67

Didn’t hesitate to donate tables and chairs to local nonprofits for fundraisers

t
NASA selects Kent-based Blue Origin for Mars mission launch contract

New Glenn rocket scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida in late 2024

Bed, Bath & Beyond has closed its store at The Outlet Collection in Auburn after 27 years. ROBERT WHALE, Sound Publishing
t
Airways Brewing in Kent to expand patio at The Beer & Bistro Garden

Heated covering, second kitchen to be completed in June

t
Kent’s Zenovia Harris receives King County’s 2023 Larry Gossett Service Award

Kent Chamber CEO honored for ‘her commitment to social justice and leading with equity’

Employees wear shirts with the big Big Chicken chicken on the back. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
Bok-bok: Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken opens in Renton

The restaurant had its grand opening Dec. 17.

Nana’s Southern Kitchen will give away free meals on Christmas Day at its Kent and Covington locations. COURTESY FILE PHOTO, Nana’s Southern Kitchen
Nana’s Southern Kitchen to give out free meals on Christmas Day

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kent and Covington locations

t
Workers find success in Kent apprenticeship carpenter program

Good pay, lifelong trade skills, enjoyable work sites among the benefits