Jeff Bezos just announced where his private space company will launch its rockets
The rocket was launched from the company's base in Texas, but today Bezos announced that the company now has a new home: America's premier space launch complex at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The launch pad that will serve as the new base to test the spacecraft will be Complex 36. Blue Origin's investment will cost $200 million and create 330 new jobs in Florida.
"Our new home here on the space coast is anchored right here at launch Complex 36," founder and owner of Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos, announced today at a public gathering at Cape Canveral. "The site saw its last launch in 2005 and the pad has stood silent for more than 10 years. Too long! We can't wait to fix that."
Blue Origin joins the ranks of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets and Lockheed Martin-Boeing's Atlas V rockets who are located at Pad 40 and Pad 41 on the complex, respectively.
Bezos said that they will soon begin testing their rocket's engines at the complex and expect to start launching the rockets within the next decade.
Blue Origin's "New Shepard" spacecraft is designed to eventually boost six people to space, where they can experience weightlessness for 10 minutes before returning to Earth.
With Blue Origin's investment as well as SpaceX and NASA's rockets taking up space on other launch complexes at Cape Canaveral, the facility is once again coming to life with the roar of rocket engines, said Senator Bill Nelson during the announcement.