Recent Activity
Resumed crewed New Shepard cadence after 2022 uncrewed anomaly investigation; multiple tourism and research flights through 2024–2026.
Investor Brief
The proving ground for Blue Origin's BE-3 propulsion, vertical-recovery techniques, and crewed flight operations. Strategic optionality more than revenue — informs every higher-stakes Blue Origin program (New Glenn, Blue Moon, BE-4).
Ownership
Parent Entity
Regulatory Regime
Anchor Tenants
Latitude Advantage
Launch Azimuth Range
Employees
Country
🇺🇸United States
Region
North America
Established
2,005
Launches / Year
36
Years Active
21
Strategic Position
31.4000° N, 104.8000° W
Azimuth: Vertical suborbital — vehicle returns to launch pad; no orbital azimuth
31.4°N — irrelevant for suborbital lift; site value is isolation (165,000-acre ranch buffer) and adjacent restricted airspace for VTVL recovery.
Future Milestones
- 2026
Sustained New Shepard cadence at 6+ flights/year (target)
- 2026
Blue Moon lunar lander engine integrated test firings at site
About
Blue Origin's Launch Site One, commonly known as Corn Ranch, is a privately owned suborbital launch facility in West Texas. It serves as the launch and landing site for Blue Origin's New Shepard reusable suborbital vehicle, which has carried both research payloads and space tourists above the Karman line.
Key Features
Private launch facility on Jeff Bezos's 165,000-acre ranch
Launch and landing site for New Shepard reusable suborbital vehicle
Vertical takeoff and landing operations for booster recovery
Supports both crewed space tourism and uncrewed research flights
Remote West Texas location provides isolation for test operations
Rockets That Launch Here
Companies Operating Here
Orbit Types
Notable Launches
New Shepard NS-15 (2021) — Final uncrewed rehearsal flight
NS-16 (2021) — Jeff Bezos's first crewed flight with Wally Funk
NS-19 (2021) — Michael Strahan and Laura Shepard Churchley fly to space
NS-22 (2022) — Sixth crewed New Shepard mission
Multiple uncrewed New Shepard research missions for NASA