Blue Origin, which ferried William Shatner to space, will pause flights at least 2 years

Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, is pausing flights on its New Shepard vehicle to focus on getting America back to the moon.

“The decision reflects Blue Origin’s commitment to the nation’s goal of returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent, sustained lunar presence,” Blue Origin said in a release Friday.

Flights on the reusable New Shepard system will be on hold for at least two years.

Blue Origin, along with Elon Musk-owned competitor SpaceX, has been contracted by NASA to create and build a lunar lander for the agency’s planned Artemis missions to the moon. The pause comes as NASA works to accelerate the timeline for those flights.

“I met with SpaceX and Blue Origin to understand the latest plans to accelerate NASA’s Artemis timeline. The capabilities these two partners are pioneering will be essential to returning NASA astronauts to the lunar surface, establishing an enduring presence, and advancing American leadership on the Moon and beyond,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said on social media on Jan. 14.

The system has been used for multiple high-profile trips, including a 2021 flight that saw William Shatner boldly go to space and an all-female flight in 2025 that included popstar Katy Perry and “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King.