The New Shepard spacecraft stands about 18 meters tall and measures 3.7 meters in diameter. At launch, the whole system tips the scales at roughly 75 metric tons.
Blue Origin fits up to six passengers inside its pressurized crew capsule.
New Shepard rises 18 meters from its base to the tip of the capsule. It’s not a giant compared to orbital rockets, but it still packs enough punch for suborbital hops.
The rocket keeps a 3.7-meter diameter all the way up, both in the propulsion module and the crew capsule. That consistent width helps streamline the ride through the atmosphere.
The crew capsule itself reaches about 4 meters in height. Six oversized windows dominate the design, each one next to a passenger seat.
Those windows are huge—over a meter across—so you get a sweeping view of Earth and the blackness of space.
The propulsion module holds the single BE-3 engine and the propellant tanks. This part stretches about 14 meters tall.
Blue Origin stores liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in separate tanks inside the booster. The engine bay sits right at the base.
Fully fueled, New Shepard weighs in at around 75 metric tons. Most of that mass comes from the propellant in the booster.
The spacecraft can hit a delta-v of 3,360 meters per second. That’s enough to push it past the Kármán line and reach over 100 kilometers above Earth.
Payload specifications:
During powered ascent, the rocket climbs to Mach 3. The BE-3 engine cranks out the thrust needed to blast through the atmosphere and into space.
Blue Origin burns through most of the rocket’s mass as propellant. The liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen combo creates clean combustion, so the exhaust is mostly just water vapor.
New Shepard seats exactly six passengers in individual reclining seats. Each seat sits right next to a big observation window—no bad views here.
The pressurized capsule keeps sea-level atmospheric conditions throughout the flight. Passengers breathe regular air, so there’s no need for spacesuits or breathing gear.
Flights last about 11 minutes from liftoff to landing. At peak altitude, passengers float in weightlessness for around 3 minutes.
Near apogee, the capsule separates from the booster, giving everyone a clean microgravity experience.
After reentry, three main parachutes slow the capsule down. Retro-rockets fire just before touchdown, making the landing surprisingly gentle for everyone inside.
This system uses both parachutes and rockets for safety—always good to have a backup.
Passengers have to meet some basic health requirements, but there’s no need for months of astronaut training. The flight runs on automated systems, so folks can just enjoy the ride.
The New Shepard propulsion module handles the heavy lifting, powering the crew capsule past the Kármán line. Blue Origin made this booster fully reusable, with vertical landing tech and a BE-3 engine built for suborbital flights.
The propulsion module uses a single BE-3 engine, burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to push out 490 kilonewtons of thrust at full throttle. The engine can throttle down to 89 kilonewtons for precise landing.
This bipropellant cryogenic system burns clean, with water vapor as the only exhaust.
Blue Origin has built several versions of the propulsion module. The current New Shepard marks their fourth design, following Goddard (PM-1) and PM-2. They actually skipped PM-3 and jumped straight to the latest version.
Each booster stands about 18 meters tall and uses a conical shape for aerodynamic efficiency on both ascent and descent.
Lightweight materials keep the structure strong but flight-ready for reuse and vertical landings.
The booster lands vertically using engine reignition during descent. Four fins pop out for aerodynamic control while dropping through the atmosphere.
Landing legs extend from the base, making for a stable touchdown.
Onboard computers take care of everything—engine throttling, fin deployment, landing legs—based on real-time flight data. No need for ground control or pilots.
The booster keeps enough propellant for the landing sequence, always leaving a safety margin for the crew. Hydraulic systems handle the landing gear, though early flights had some hiccups with hydraulics that Blue Origin later sorted out.
Blue Origin built the propulsion module to fly again and again, with only minimal checks between flights. Some boosters have already flown over ten times, which says a lot about the reusable design.
The company rotates between several boosters to keep up with flight schedules. RSS H.G. Wells has flown 11 times, and RSS First Step has made it through 13 missions. The newest, RSS Kármán Line, started flying in late 2024.
Turnaround time between flights depends on inspections and payload changes. The modular build lets techs get to the important parts quickly for maintenance or swaps.
This setup keeps costs down compared to one-and-done rockets, while still keeping things safe for the crew.
The BE-3 engine gives New Shepard its muscle, using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to generate up to 110,000 pounds of thrust. Blue Origin built this engine for reusability, with deep throttling and low-maintenance features.
The BE-3 engine cranks out 110,000 lbf of thrust at Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas. At sea level, that’s about 485 kN of thrust force.
Throttling Range: 20% to 100%
Propellant Flow: Combustion tap-off cycle
Operating Pressure: Varies with flight phase
For landing, the BE-3 throttles down to just 20,000 lbf, letting the booster touch down gently on the pad.
The engine first flew successfully on April 29, 2015. Since then, Blue Origin has run a bunch of test flights, proving it’s up for commercial use.
The BE-3PM variant took New Shepard past the Kármán line on November 23, 2015. That same engine flew four more times before retirement, showing that reusability isn’t just a dream.
Blue Origin picked liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen for the BE-3, just like the Space Shuttle’s main engines. That’s a solid choice for high performance.
Propellant Components:
This combo gives the engine an excellent specific impulse. Burning hydrogen with oxygen creates only water vapor, so it’s about as clean as rocket exhaust gets.
Handling cryogenic propellants means keeping things super cold right up until ignition.
The BE-3 is actually the first new liquid hydrogen rocket engine built for production in the U.S. in over a decade. Blue Origin put a lot into getting this system right.
Blue Origin made the BE-3 to fly repeatedly with little work between launches. The design avoids the destructive wear and tear that ends most rocket engines after one flight.
Instead of using separate turbopumps, the BE-3’s combustion tap-off cycle simplifies things and cuts down on failure points.
Key Features:
The engine can reignite multiple times in a single flight, which is crucial for New Shepard’s powered landings.
Blue Origin also developed the BE-3U, a variant with a bigger nozzle for vacuum. The BE-3U will eventually power the upper stage of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket.
The original BE-3 is smaller than the BE-3U, but both share the same core tech, just tuned for different jobs.
The New Shepard crew capsule gives you 15 cubic meters of pressurized space and seats up to six people. Blue Origin built it with aluminum and carbon fiber, and those panoramic windows are perfect for soaking in the view during flight.
The capsule uses a lightweight aluminum frame, reinforced with carbon fiber. That keeps it strong enough for reentry but light enough to fly well.
Inside, you get 15 cubic meters of pressurized space. Six seats bolt directly to the frame, each with a racing-style harness.
The outer shell handles the heat and pressure swings of reentry. Its rounded shape helps keep things stable on the way down.
Specs at a glance:
Six giant windows give everyone a front-row seat to Earth and space. These are actually the biggest windows ever put on a passenger spacecraft.
The windows stretch almost floor-to-ceiling along the walls, so each seat gets a dedicated view.
Blue Origin built the windows to handle big pressure differences and extreme temperatures. The glass stays clear, even when things get hot or cold.
Passengers can see all around—Earth’s curve, the blackness of space, you name it. You can snap photos or shoot video the whole time you’re weightless.
The capsule packs a dedicated escape motor that kicks out 310 kilonewtons of thrust. If anything goes wrong, it can yank the capsule away from the booster at any point during launch.
The escape engine can accelerate the capsule at a minimum of 3.5 g, getting it clear of trouble fast. Automated systems handle the escape sequence—passengers don’t have to do a thing.
Three main parachutes bring the capsule back down for landing. Backup chutes stand ready in case the main ones don’t work.
Safety highlights:
Environmental systems keep the cabin comfortable for temperature and noise. Blue Origin keeps tweaking things based on passenger feedback and test flights.
Seats offer ergonomic support for both launch and weightless phases. Racing harnesses keep you secure but still let you move around once you’re floating.
You get speakers and mics with push-to-talk, so everyone can chat or record audio during the ride.
Display panels show flight status and altitude, so you always know what’s happening from liftoff to landing.
New Shepard missions stick to a pretty tight 11-minute flight sequence that takes passengers past the 100-kilometer Kármán Line.
The spacecraft fires its engine for about 110 seconds before it coasts up to maximum altitude. Up there, passengers get to enjoy three minutes of weightlessness.
At liftoff, the BE-3 engine roars to life, pushing out 490,000 pounds of thrust to lift New Shepard straight off the pad.
Engine cutoff happens around 38 kilometers up, after those 110 seconds of powered flight.
As the rocket climbs, passengers feel the g-forces ramping up. The rocket just keeps going straight up—no fancy turns or orbital maneuvers like you see in bigger missions.
Ground control keeps an eye on every system during launch. The flight computer takes care of throttling and guidance, so passengers just stay strapped in for the ride.
If anything goes sideways, the launch escape system can yank the crew capsule away from the booster in a split second. That thing is fast.
Once the engine shuts down, New Shepard coasts on a ballistic path, heading well past 100 kilometers altitude.
During the powered climb, the rocket hits speeds around Mach 3.
When the capsule arcs above the Kármán Line, passengers float free in microgravity for about three minutes. They can unbuckle and float around the cabin.
Six big windows give everyone a killer view—the curve of Earth, the deep black of space, and that razor-thin blue line of atmosphere.
The flight path is pretty simple: up, over, and back down. No orbital stuff to worry about.
Typically, the rocket tops out at 106 kilometers, which is well above the line that counts as “space” by international standards.
Near apogee—the very top of the flight—the crew capsule breaks away from the propulsion module.
After separation, both parts start their own journeys back to the ground.
The capsule pops out drag brakes first, then a drogue chute to steady things. Three main parachutes open one after another and slow the descent. Right before landing, retro-rockets fire to soften the touchdown.
Meanwhile, the booster reignites its BE-3 engine for a powered landing. Grid fins pop out to help steer the rocket during atmospheric reentry.
The booster lands straight up on a concrete pad.
Both the capsule and the booster face some serious heat during reentry. Thermal protection systems keep all the important parts safe from those high temperatures.
The crew capsule lands in the West Texas desert about 11 minutes after launch.
Retro-rockets slow it down to under 16 kilometers per hour, making it a pretty gentle landing for everyone inside.
Recovery teams get to the capsule fast—usually within a few minutes. Medical staff check up on passengers, and the hatch only opens after all systems check out.
The booster lands itself precisely on a concrete pad near the launch area. This powered landing lets Blue Origin reuse boosters for more flights.
Recovery crews follow strict safety protocols built from lots of previous missions.
Both the capsule and the booster go through inspections before they’re cleared for another flight.
New Shepard launches out of Blue Origin‘s facility in West Texas. The site has specialized infrastructure set up for suborbital tourism flights.
Blue Origin has put a lot into ground support and recovery at this main site, though they’re always looking at ways to expand.
All New Shepard missions launch from the Corn Ranch facility in Culberson County, Texas.
This private spaceport sits about 8 kilometers west of Highway 54, near Van Horn.
The launch complex covers 3,000 square meters and supports vertical takeoffs. Engineers placed the landing pad 6.1 kilometers north of the launch area so the booster can land after its powered descent.
Being out in the desert has its perks. There’s hardly any air traffic, which makes launches simpler and safer. The sparse population also helps with safety.
Corn Ranch usually has great weather for year-round operations. Clear skies and low rainfall mean more launch windows.
At Van Horn, the spaceport has several support buildings for prepping vehicles and handling crew operations.
Blue Origin built a vehicle processing facility where technicians get boosters and capsules ready between flights.
There’s also an astronaut training facility packed with simulators and briefing rooms to help passengers get ready.
On-site lodging lets crew and passengers stay nearby before launch day.
Recovery teams use special areas for booster and capsule landings. They keep all the gear and vehicles needed for post-flight work ready in these zones.
Administrative buildings house mission control and the flight ops teams. These folks run the launch and keep tabs on the whole mission.
So far, Blue Origin hasn’t announced any other New Shepard launch sites outside Texas.
They seem focused on getting the most out of Corn Ranch for now.
The FAA has licensed the West Texas site for commercial space launches. That makes scheduling easier and keeps things less complicated.
If Blue Origin ever moves to another location, they’d have to invest a lot in new infrastructure—launch pads, processing buildings, recovery gear, the whole deal.
Honestly, the Texas desert is tough to beat for these flights. The open space and clear airspace are pretty ideal.
New Shepard stands out from traditional rockets because it’s fully reusable. The booster lands vertically, and the capsule comes down by parachute.
The vehicle manages this with advanced throttleable engines and lightweight materials.
After separating from the capsule, the New Shepard booster flips itself and heads back toward the launch site.
It reignites the BE-3 engine during descent to slow down. This deeply throttleable cryogenic engine can dial its power up or down as needed. It burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.
As the booster nears the ground, four landing legs extend to create a stable base for touchdown.
The booster lands upright on a concrete pad in West Texas.
Ground crews check over the booster after every flight. They look at the engine, fuel systems, and structure to make sure it’s good for another mission.
Some boosters have flown multiple times, with a few racking up more than 20 flights. That’s pretty impressive for a reusable rocket.
The crew capsule uses a separate recovery method.
After separating from the booster at the top of the flight, three big parachutes deploy to slow it down.
The parachutes open one after the other, providing a steady descent. They’re strong enough to handle the full weight of the capsule and everyone inside. There are backups in case one fails.
Just before landing, small retro-rockets fire to soften the impact.
The capsule lands out in the desert near the launch site.
Recovery teams get to the capsule quickly. They help passengers out and run some quick safety checks.
The capsule rides back to the processing facility on a special trailer.
Each capsule can fly again after some refurbishment. Usually, the heat shield and parachutes get swapped out, and other systems go through inspections and testing.
Blue Origin can get a New Shepard vehicle ready for another flight in just weeks—not months.
The booster usually needs less work than the capsule because of its powered landing.
Engine inspections take a few days. Technicians go over the BE-3 engine for any signs of wear or damage, and they check the fuel systems for leaks.
Capsule processing takes a bit longer. If the heat shield’s worn out, it gets replaced. Parachutes are repacked by certified techs. Life support systems get a full check.
Weather sometimes slows things down. High winds or storms can delay outdoor work. Luckily, the Texas launch site has good weather most of the year.
Blue Origin wants to ramp up flight frequency as things progress. They’re aiming for multiple flights per month as commercial operations pick up.
Fast turnaround is a big part of what makes reusable spacecraft technology so cost-effective.
New Shepard has gone through several versions and designations since its first flight.
They use specific names for both rocket boosters and crew capsules. NS-16 stands out as the first crewed flight.
On July 20, 2021, NS-16 marked a huge moment for Blue Origin’s space tourism plans.
This mission carried the first people aboard New Shepard, including Jeff Bezos.
They used booster #4 for its third flight and crew capsule CC2.0-2, also on its third trip. The capsule—part of the RSS First Step series—had some solid upgrades for human spaceflight.
NS-16 went above the Kármán line, reaching 100 kilometers. The whole thing took about 10 minutes from launch to landing.
The mission proved New Shepard’s design for commercial space tourism.
The flight ran on automated systems. No one needed to pilot the vehicle during the mission.
Blue Origin has flown two main New Shepard variants.
New Shepard (1) flew 15 times from 2015 to 2022. New Shepard (2) started in 2021 and is still flying.
Both versions stick to the same basic design: a BE-3 engine propulsion module and a crew capsule. Updates over time have improved reliability and systems.
The crew capsules have gone through versions CC1, CC2.0-1, CC2.0-2, and CC2.0-3. Each new version builds on what they learned from previous flights.
Later capsules have better environmental controls, nicer displays, and more comfortable seating.
Booster recovery has gotten better with each version. Early flights had some recovery misses, but newer missions land the booster reliably.
Blue Origin names its crew capsules “RSS,” which stands for “Reusable Space Ship.” The names pay tribute to sci-fi legends and space exploration.
RSS H. G. Wells is the longest-serving capsule series. It racked up 11 flights between 2017 and 2025. The name honors the classic science fiction author.
RSS First Step started flying in 2021 and has logged 13 flights so far. This capsule took up the first paying customers on New Shepard. The name’s a nod to humanity’s first steps into commercial space travel.
Both capsule types carry up to six passengers. They feature big windows for looking down at Earth during flight.
Capsules land with parachutes and retro-rockets for a soft touchdown.
The latest capsule, RSS Kármán Line, began flying in late 2024.
Since 2012, New Shepard has flown more than 30 missions. The program built up a pretty impressive safety record with multiple successful crewed flights.
Blue Origin has shown it can reuse its rockets, sending both paying customers and scientific payloads to suborbital space again and again.
By May 2025, New Shepard completed 32 missions. Only one major failure happened—mission M23 in September 2022.
During that flight, the booster failed, but the crew capsule’s abort system kicked in and landed safely. No one was on board.
The company launched its first crewed flight on July 20, 2021, with Jeff Bezos and three others. Since then, Blue Origin has kept up regular crewed operations with most flights carrying six-person crews.
They operate several New Shepard vehicles at once. The RSS First Step booster has flown 12 times, proving how reusable these rockets can be.
RSS H.G. Wells flew 11 missions before the 2022 incident. The success rate sits around 97% for mission objectives.
Every crewed flight so far has brought passengers back to Earth safely.
The July 2021 first crewed flight made headlines by bringing 82-year-old Wally Funk to space, finally fulfilling her lifelong dream. William Shatner, at 90, became the oldest person to reach space in October 2021.
Blue Origin has flown TV personalities, business leaders, and space industry veterans. In May 2024, Ed Dwight—who once trained as a NASA astronaut candidate—finally got his trip to space.
Some flights focused on safety system tests. For example, the October 2016 mission triggered an in-flight abort at low altitude on purpose.
The July 2018 mission tested high-altitude abort capabilities. Most flights also carry scientific experiments from NASA and universities.
These missions show New Shepard can handle tourism and research at the same time.
Blue Origin kicked off New Shepard development in the early 2000s. The first pad abort test took place in October 2012.
For three years, engineers refined systems before the first successful booster recovery in November 2015. From 2015 to 2021, the company ran lots of uncrewed tests, flying the same booster repeatedly.
They switched to the Crew Capsule 2.0 in 2017, adding bigger windows and better life support. Commercial crewed flights started in 2021 and have continued every few months.
Blue Origin rolled out a third crew capsule, RSS Kármán Line, in late 2024 to boost flight numbers. The program evolved from early test flights reaching 93 kilometers to regular missions topping 100 kilometers.
Flights last about 10 minutes, with passengers getting several minutes of weightlessness.
New Shepard leads Blue Origin’s commercial space tourism efforts. It carries both customers looking for weightlessness and organizations needing microgravity research platforms.
Each New Shepard flight can carry up to six passengers. Everyone gets a big window seat for those classic space views.
From launch to landing, the ride lasts about 11 minutes. At the peak, passengers get three to four minutes of weightlessness as the capsule climbs above 100 kilometers—past the Kármán line.
During this time, folks can unbuckle and float around the cabin. Blue Origin designed the capsule for safety and comfort, using an automated flight system that doesn’t need a pilot.
The capsule has an escape system for emergencies. Landing uses three parachutes plus retro-rockets for a soft touchdown.
Passengers stay comfortable in a shirt-sleeve environment the whole time.
New Shepard also carries research payloads for organizations and companies. Experiments can ride in both the pressurized cabin and unpressurized spots.
Researchers get several minutes of microgravity to run their experiments. Blue Origin offers these flights to universities, research groups, and businesses.
Common research includes materials science, life sciences, and tech demonstrations. The frequent flight schedule means researchers can fly experiments several times a year.
Customers can choose between automated experiments or ones needing crew interaction. Those big windows also help with Earth observation and atmospheric research.
Standard payload options include power, data recording, and environmental monitoring.
Blue Origin keeps tweaking New Shepard’s tech. They want to give passengers a better experience and boost how often they can fly.
The latest New Shepard vehicle, RSS Kármán Line, includes several upgrades. The crew capsule now has better environmental controls for comfort.
Environmental Systems get a lot of attention. The capsule uses improved acoustics to cut down on noise.
Temperature control keeps the cabin comfortable throughout the flight. Crew Interface Improvements also make a difference.
New display panels give passengers more flight info. Updated speakers, microphones, and push-to-talk features help everyone communicate clearly with ground control.
Operational Efficiency matters, too. Blue Origin reuses almost 99% of New Shepard’s dry mass, including the booster, capsule, engine, landing gear, and parachutes.
They keep refining these systems to cut turnaround time between flights. The booster now has mounting points for payloads, so experiments and cargo can fly with passengers.
Blue Origin looks at different ways to use New Shepard. They’re exploring options for various markets and needs.
Cargo-Only Variants are one possibility. Without passenger life support, these could carry bigger or more complex scientific experiments.
Extended Duration Missions are also on the table. Right now, flights offer about four minutes of weightlessness, but Blue Origin is studying how to make that longer.
Enhanced Passenger Capacity concepts are under review, too. Maybe the layout could change to make the six-seat ride more comfortable.
Blue Origin also thinks about how New Shepard tech could support their bigger New Glenn rocket program. Improvements for New Shepard sometimes benefit New Glenn, creating some nice overlap.
People often ask about altitude, ticket prices, and how New Shepard operates. The rocket reaches over 100 kilometers and uses vertical landing tech to recover safely.
New Shepard usually flies above 100 kilometers, crossing the Kármán line—the edge of space. That means passengers get well above Earth’s atmosphere for a few minutes.
The exact apogee changes a bit each flight, but it always beats the official space boundary. During the ride, passengers get to float and see Earth’s curve.
Blue Origin hasn’t shared official ticket prices yet. Most early flights went to auction winners or special guests, not paying customers.
They plan to offer regular commercial flights, but pricing details are still under wraps. Industry watchers guess it’ll be similar to other suborbital tourism options.
New Shepard is a suborbital vehicle built for space tourism and research flights—each lasting about 11 minutes. New Glenn is Blue Origin’s orbital rocket, designed for satellite launches and deep space missions.
New Shepard takes passengers up and down in one shot. New Glenn will put payloads into orbit and support longer missions.
They use different engines, too. New Shepard has a single BE-3 engine, while New Glenn uses several BE-4 engines for orbital power.
The capsule seats up to six people, each with their own big window and safety features. Passengers can control some parts of their flight experience.
New Shepard also carries research payloads and experiments. Blue Origin offers these services to scientific and commercial customers.
Total payload includes both people and cargo, but the exact weight depends on the flight’s setup and goals.
After separating from the capsule, the New Shepard booster fires its BE-3 engine to slow down and land vertically. It heads straight for the landing pad.
The capsule drifts down on three parachutes, with retro-rockets firing right before touchdown for a softer landing. Both parts are built for reuse after a quick refurb.
That’s how Blue Origin manages to fly the same rocket hardware over and over.
Blue Origin has flown New Shepard regularly since 2015. In the last few years, they’ve ramped up the pace.
In 2024, they launched several missions and seem eager to keep expanding the schedule. Of course, how often they fly depends on things like weather, demand, and whether the vehicles are ready.
Blue Origin actually uses different booster and capsule combos to keep things moving. They’re working toward making commercial flights routine, but honestly, they haven’t shared exact numbers for future launches.
