Blue Origin Donates New Shepard Rocket And Crew Capsule To Smithsonian

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Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos once pledged that if his company's first rocket to reach space and land vertically back on Earth survived an abort test then he would "reward it for its service" by putting it into a museum.

Eight years later, Bezos has made good on that promise and then some.

"There is no better final landing pad for New Shepard than the Smithsonian," said Bezos in a statement. "We are honored and grateful."

The New Shepard booster that became the world's first launch vehicle to place a payload into space before landing upright on its legs has been delivered to the Smithsonian. Further, a mockup of Blue Origin 's crew capsule will go on display at the same time as the rocket at the National Air and Space Museum, to later be replaced by by the still-flying "RSS First Step," the spacecraft that has flown 43 people to space (to date), including Bezos himself .

The Blue Origin artifacts will debut to the public in two renovated and reimagined galleries opening in the museum's Washington, D.C. flagship building in 2026.

"The New Shepard rocket and capsule represent current spaceflight and future exploration," said Chris Browne, director of the museum, in a statement. "A key component of the museum's ongoing transformation is having a rich collection and presentation of what's happening right now, in addition to celebrating incredible feats of the past."

In addition to Blue Origin's capsule and rocket donations, Bezos personally gifted the Smithsonian $200 million in 2021, in part to support the renovation of the National Air and Space Museum and to establish a new education center at the museum.

The Bezos Learning Center, to be housed in a separate facility on the east side of the museum's plaza on the National Mall, will feature programs aimed at engaging students in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, as well as aid educators in better using the Smithsonian's collections across all of its museums.