With space being the next great frontier, many big names have been throwing their hat in the ring to venture beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Space exploration has become the name of the game for several companies that strive to make humans a multi-planetary species. Mankind’s growing need for resources has seen an increased interest in galaxies far, far away, however, the vision of life on Mars will take plenty of money and research before it can be realized.
While many people know of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, there is another contender that is making headlines for its’ out of this world exploration. Blue Origin, another privately owned space company, has made headlines over the last year for launching space missions with iconic crew members. On Monday, Apr. 14, they continued that trend by sending the first all-female crew (including celebrities like Gayle King and Katy Perry) on a mission. Here’s what we know about Blue Origin’s owner, history and latest ventures.
Blue Origin Is Owned By Billionaire Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos (owner of Amazon) founded Blue Origin in 2000, just six years after the inception of his online marketplace; he’s since taken both companies to new heights. The former is the world’s largest online retailer and it is technically funding Blue Origin’s space efforts. Per Investopedia, Bezos’ 2022 sale of $6 billion worth of Amazon stock helped cement his status as one of the world’s wealthiest figures. Despite this, his space exploration venture had a slow start, investing years into flight testing to prepare for future projects. Finally, in 2006 Blue Origin launched Goddard (a demonstration vehicle) on a sub-orbital flight. Since then, the company continues to push the limits of space exploration.
In late 2024, Bezos confirmed that he has a vision for Blue Origin, but he’s aware his goals won’t be achieved overnight. “I think it’s going to be the best business that I’ve ever been involved in, but it’s going to take a while,” he said at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit last December. At the time, he admitted his company “is not a very good business yet,” but that doesn’t mean Bezos is counting it out. In fact, he spoke of the company one day soaring above Amazon, which has a reported market value of $1.96 trillion as of April 2025.
Bezos does not seem to be in a rush, although his objective is to create a world where everyday people live and work in space. Many high-profile celebrities have flown with Blue Origin, but the company is relatively accessible; this is an important part of their philanthropic mission to bring their plans for the future to life. As Blue Origin describes it, “Our vision spans generations. This generation will lay the groundwork, and future generations will carry the torch.”
The Company’s Estimated Net Worth Is In The Multi-Billions
Of course, the technological advancement needed for this type of interstellar mission is two fold. But the company seemingly has all the funds it needs just from Bezos’ pocket to focus on pulling off impressive feats of science. As Space Insider reports, the Blue Alchemist Project is one of Blue Origin’s big ticket innovations. The project aims to find the most affordable and efficient ways to make solar panels out of lunar dust.
While their innovation is obvious, in terms of finances, Blue Origin is doing relatively well for itself as well. According to CompWorth, the Kent, Washington-based company has an annual revenue of $4 billion, although no valuation has been made public to date. Though undeniably impressive, in comparison to its competitors, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is valued at $137 billion.
Blue Origin Live Streamed The First All-Female Rocket Launch
The technological and economic side of Bezos’ company is incredibly important, but the company is also gaining attention for its headlining launches. Headed by specially crafted crews. these landmark events have marked the beginning of a new and exciting era, sharing the wonders of space with people who may not have a degree in aerospace engineering. Although Blue Origin is not the first space company to do so, it is becoming one with the most diverse crews.
The most recent rocket launches even included a woman very close to Bezos’ heart, his fiancée Lauren Sánchez. The 55-year-old led a six-person, all-female crew on a mission to the Kármán line (the point where Earth’s atmosphere meets outer space) which launched on Apr. 14. Their launch was technically a tourism trip, but still has a big appeal to fans of the crew members.
Other public figures that were on board include CBS’ Gayle King, singer Katy Perry and movie producer Kerianne Flynn. The diverse crew also had aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe and Amanda Nguyen, a scientist and activist, on board. This historic moment can be viewed by people all over the world via a live stream. The Associated Press has archived the exciting mission on Youtube, so viewers can experience it live like they were there themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a flight on the Blue Origin cost?
Blue Origin advertises window seats to space for the hefty cost of $150,000 USD. The kicker is, that’s just the deposit, so past the application phase to reserve a seat there may be other costs for space tourists. This aspect has everyday people questioning just how accessible and inclusive the space company is.
How long will Gayle King be in space?
King is already back on Earth. The journey was surprisingly short, so the actual space adventure lasted around 11 minutes. She did make sure to kiss the ground as soon as she stepped foot back on land though, so it is unclear if she will try space exploration again.
