New Shepard flies without a pilot at all — the capsule is fully autonomous, and every seat has its own oversized window, since there's no cockpit to seat a crew in front of.
Grounded since NS-38, redirecting to the Moon
New Shepard's last human flight was NS-38 on January 22, 2026, bringing the program's total to 98 people flown. Blue Origin then announced a pause of "no less than two years," redirecting resources toward its Blue Moon lunar lander for NASA's Artemis program. No new tourist flight date has been announced.
Video via YouTube — Blue Origin, official NS-36 launch and landing coverage
New Shepard's simplicity is the point — a vertical launch, a brief arc, and a parachute landing.
The capsule separates from its booster shortly after launch, continuing on momentum alone past the Kármán line.
The rocket booster performs a powered vertical landing back at the launch site, refurbished for future flights.
The crew capsule descends separately under parachutes, landing softly in the West Texas desert.
Blue Origin doesn't run a consumer affiliate program — seats are arranged directly with the company.
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