Photos: Glimpses of Secretive Blue Origin's Private Spaceships

Blue Origin New Shepard Rocket Landing

Blue Origin

Blue Origin is a private spaceflight company founded by Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos to develop commercial rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2000, but came to public attention in 2003 when it began buying land in Texas for its testing grounds.

Here, Blue Origin's reusable New Shepard booster first stage stands atop a pad following its successful landing during an unmanned test flight from West Texas that launched up to suborbital space and returned safely to Earth on Nov. 23, 2015. Watch video of Blue Origin's New Shepard test flight here.

Jeff Bezos Celebrates Blue Origin Test Flight

Blue Origin

Blue Origin billionaire founder Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com's CEO) and team members celebrate after the successful first spaceflight and landing of its New Shepard spacecraft and booster on Nov. 23, 2015. Watch video of Blue Origin's New Shepard test flight here.

First Launch to Space: 11/23/2015

Blue Origin

Blue Origin's privately built New Shepard spacecraft launches from the company's West Texas test facility on its first unmanned suborbital spaceflight on Nov. 23, 2015. Watch video of Blue Origin's New Shepard test flight here.

Landing Descent

Blue Origin

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket first stage descends toward its landing pad after a successful unmanned suborbital test flight from its West Texas launch site on Nov. 23, 2015 in this still image from a Blue Origin video. Watch video of Blue Origin's New Shepard test flight here.

Capsule Parachutes

Blue Origin

Blue Origin's New Shepard space capsule floats back to Earth under parachutes after a successful unmanned suborbital test flight from the company's West Texas facility on Nov. 23, 2015. Watch video of Blue Origin's New Shepard test flight here.

Blue Origin New Shepard Rollout

Blue Origin

Blue Origin engineers roll the company's New Shepard spacecraft and rocket to the launch pad at the firm's West Texas proving grounds for an unmanned suborbital test flight on Nov. 23, 2015. Watch video of Blue Origin's New Shepard test flight here.

Blue Origin Crew Capsule Escape Test

Blue Origin

Here, Blue Origin's pusher escape system rockets the Crew Capsule away from the launch pad, demonstrating a key safety system for both suborbital and orbital flights. Image released Oct. 22, 2012.

Bezos Announces New Blue Origin Facility at Cape Canaveral

Calla Cofield/Space.com

Jeff Bezos announced on Sept. 15, 2015 that his spaceflight company Blue Origin would have a launch facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

Bezos Announces New Blue Origin Facility at KSC

Calla Cofield/Space.com

During a media event on Sept. 15, 2015, Jeff Bezos announced a new Blue Origin spaceflight facility would be constructed at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. He gave a glimpse of a new "very big brother" space vehicle.

Bezos Announces New Blue Origin Facility at KSC

Calla Cofield/Space.com

During a media event on Sept. 15, 2015, Jeff Bezos announced a new Blue Origin spaceflight facility would be constructed at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. He gave a glimpse of a new "very big brother" space vehicle.

Blue Origin Media Event Sept. 15, 2015

Calla Cofield/Space.com

Speakers assemble at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Sept. 15, 2015, for Blue Origin's announcement that the company will be coming to Cape Canaveral.

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Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.