**Breaking News: Blue Origin Dials Back on Space Tourism to Chase Lunar Ambitions**
Hey there, fellow space enthusiasts! If you’re as obsessed with space travel as I am, you’re probably wondering what’s up with Blue Origin’s space tourism program. Well, wonder no more. The company founded by Jeff Bezos has just announced that it’s putting its space tourism endeavors on hold, at least for the next couple of years.
Why, you ask? It seems that the space tourism market is getting a little crowded, and Blue Origin is shifting its focus to the next big thing: NASA’s lunar program. Yep, you heard that right – the company is jumping into the moon mission game, and it’s not messing around.
Now, you might be wondering what this means for Blue Origin’s space tourism program, which has been sending people to the edge of space (literally) 38 times and carrying 98 humans and over 200 scientific payloads along for the ride. Well, the New Shepard rocket – the trusty workhorse of the program – is taking a temporary hiatus to focus on lunar missions.
The New Shepard has been an incredible success in its own right, offering an unforgettable 4 minutes of weightlessness and even some valuable scientific research opportunities. It might not have reached orbit like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 (yet!), but it’s still given people a taste of the out-of-this-world experience they’ve always dreamed of.
So, what’s next for Blue Origin’s space tourism program? Will we see a new and improved rocket take its place? Only time will tell, but I’ll be keeping my ear to the ground for any updates. Stay tuned for more breaking space news and analysis, and if you’re as obsessed with space and tech as I am, be sure to join us at our TechCrunch event in Boston on June 23, 2026.
Sources:
* [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/30/blue-origin-pauses-space-tourism-flights-to-focus-on-the-moon/)
