Does Blue Origin actually go to space? It depends on who you ask, what map they're looking at, and honestly, how much they like Jeff Bezos.
Some people call it a "glorified elevator ride." Others say it’s a legitimate leap into the cosmos. If you’ve seen the footage of New Shepard—that white, somewhat phallic rocket—it shoots up, drops a capsule, and then falls back down. It’s quick. Maybe ten minutes total. You might wonder if they’re just hitting the ceiling of the atmosphere and calling it a day.
The short answer is yes. They go to space. But "space" isn't a single room with a door you walk through.
The Karman Line vs. The "Astronaut" Wings
Most of the world uses a specific yardstick called the Kármán line. It sits at 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) above sea level. This isn't some arbitrary number pulled out of a hat. Theodore von Kármán, a physicist, basically figured out that at this height, the air is so thin that an airplane would have to fly at orbital velocity just to get enough lift to stay up. Basically, aeronautics stops and astronautics starts.
Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket consistently clears this 100km mark.
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Usually, they hit around 106 kilometers. That’s definitely space by international standards. However, the United States is a bit of an outlier. The FAA and NASA actually set the "space" boundary lower, at 50 miles (80 km). So, if you fly with Blue Origin, you’re well past both benchmarks. You get the wings. You get the "Astronaut" title on your LinkedIn. You see the blackness of the void and the curve of the Earth.
Why the Internet Thinks It's "Fake"
Social media is full of skeptics. You've probably seen the "Suborbital vs. Orbital" debates. This is where the confusion—and the "fake space" accusations—usually starts.
To understand why people get salty about Blue Origin, you have to understand the difference between height and speed.
Going to space is easy. Staying there is hard. To stay in space, you have to go sideways incredibly fast—about 17,500 mph. That's orbital velocity. If you don't go that fast, gravity just pulls you back down like a tossed baseball. Blue Origin’s New Shepard doesn't even try to go sideways. It goes straight up and straight down.
- Suborbital (New Shepard): Like a pogo stick. You jump up, see the view, and come right back.
- Orbital (SpaceX Falcon 9/New Glenn): Like a race car on a circular track. You go so fast you "miss" the Earth as you fall.
Because New Shepard doesn't stay in orbit, some space purists argue it’s "space-lite." But saying Blue Origin doesn't go to space because it doesn't orbit is like saying you didn't go to the ocean because you only waded in the surf instead of swimming to Hawaii. You still got wet.
New Glenn Changes the Conversation
For years, the "Bezos vs. Musk" rivalry was lopsided because SpaceX was reaching orbit and Blue Origin wasn't. That shifted. On January 16, 2025, Blue Origin finally checked the "orbital" box.
Their massive New Glenn rocket—named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth—successfully reached orbit from Cape Canaveral. It wasn't just a test; it deployed the Blue Ring Pathfinder satellite. Later in 2025, they even sent NASA’s ESCAPADE spacecraft toward Mars.
So, as of 2026, the "do they actually go to space" question has two parts. The tourist rocket (New Shepard) goes to the edge of space for a few minutes. The heavy-lift rocket (New Glenn) goes deep into space, stays there, and is currently being used for actual satellite constellations and interplanetary missions.
What It’s Actually Like Up There
If you’re one of the lucky people (or celebrities like Katy Perry or William Shatner) who have buckled into that capsule, the experience is intense. It’s not a slow climb.
The BE-3 engine burns for about two and a half minutes. You’re pinned into your seat. Then, silence. The capsule separates. Suddenly, you're weightless. You’ve got about three to four minutes to unbuckle and float.
The windows are the biggest selling point. Blue Origin designed the New Shepard capsule with massive portals—roughly one-third of the entire structure is glass. You aren't looking through a tiny porthole like on the Apollo missions. You see the thin, fragile blue line of the atmosphere. Shatner famously came back down looking pretty shaken, calling it the most profound experience of his life. He wasn't talking about a "fake" trip. He was talking about seeing the "vicious" transition from the blue of Earth to the total black of the universe.
The Verdict on the "Edge"
Is it "just" the edge? Technically, yes. But the edge of space is space.
While the tourist flights are short, they are scientifically useful. NASA actually sends payloads on these flights because it’s a cheap way to test how things react to microgravity without needing a multi-million dollar orbital slot.
Quick Facts: Blue Origin vs. The Boundary
- Altitude: Typically 105–107 km.
- Speed: Mach 3 (on the way up).
- Duration: 10–11 minutes.
- Weightlessness: ~4 minutes.
- Boundary Crossed: Both the 80km (US) and 100km (International) lines.
How to Verify for Yourself
If you’re still skeptical, you can track the telemetry. During live launches, Blue Origin broadcasts the altimeter in real-time. You can watch the numbers climb past 328,000 feet. That's the 100km mark.
Critics will always exist. The privatization of space is controversial. People hate the price tag (rumored to be around $1.25 million, though they require a $150,000 deposit just to start talking). Others think the money should stay on Earth. But from a purely physics-based perspective, the rocket leaves the atmosphere. It enters the vacuum. It is in space.
Actionable Steps for Space Enthusiasts
If you want to dive deeper into whether these missions "count" or if you're looking to follow the industry more closely, here is what you should do:
- Follow the New Glenn Manifest: Watch for the upcoming "Amazon Leo" launches (Project Kuiper). This is where Blue Origin proves its orbital "street cred" by launching thousands of satellites.
- Check the FAI Registry: The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale keeps a formal log of everyone who crosses the Kármán line. You can look up specific mission dates to see the official certified altitudes.
- Monitor Launch Site One: Blue Origin’s Texas site is where New Shepard flies. Most launches are livestreamed on their website. Pay attention to the "Apogee" stat—that’s the highest point the rocket reaches. If it's over 100,000 meters, they're in space.
- Compare with Virgin Galactic: If you want to see the "other" way to get to space, look at Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity. They usually fly to about 86-90 km. They cross the US 50-mile limit but often don't cross the international 100km Kármán line. This is why the Blue Origin vs. Virgin Galactic beef is so spicy—Blue Origin technically goes higher.
Blue Origin isn't just a vanity project for a billionaire anymore. It’s a dual-threat company. One side provides a life-changing (and expensive) view for tourists, while the other side is building the infrastructure for a permanent human presence in orbit. Whether you think it’s "real" space or not, they’re the ones with the flight flight logs to prove it.