Blue Origin Has Big Plans For Its Future In Florida - Here's How The Rocket Company Is Expanding

America's exploration of the stars goes beyond NASA, as privately owned companies are an important part of the equation. That includes Blue Origin, an aerospace company that's expected to be part of NASA's future commercial space station. Blue Origin is now looking ahead with several projects, including a new rocket refurbishment facility and a payload processing facility, both at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The latter is part of a $78 million tie-up with the U.S. Space Force and will help address a problem that's been growing worse for years: With more than 200 space launches expected throughout 2025, there's simply not enough room for all the launches taking place in the state. This cooperative effort will help Blue Origin expand its overall launch capacity, with up to 16 launches per year expected from the new facility alone. Blue Origin's secure facility will also allow for launch preparations, including fueling, battery charging, and more.

Though Blue Origin will lead the way with operations at the new location, other companies will be involved as well. This is part of the Space Force's overall strategy, which encourages cooperation between aerospace companies, all while coordinating with NASA. SpaceX, which just landed a major Pentagon deal, is one of the launch providers expected to utilize the new facility, which should be completed by early 2028. Blue Origin also has plans to 

Blue Origin has a solid foothold in Florida, as the company has nearly 4,000 employees in the state. It's also invested over $2.3 billion through various partnerships with hundreds of local suppliers across the state. With 11 launch sites, Blue Origin has become a constant presence in Orlando, Melbourne, and Merritt Island. The company's Lunar 1 Plant at Rocket Park, near the Kennedy Space Center, is developing the Blue Moon Mark-2 lunar lander, as well as a transport vehicle for NASA.

Originally founded in 2000 by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin's initial focus was on building reusable rockets to bring people and industries into space. The company's efforts eventually led to the New Shepard suborbital rocket, which had its first test flight in 2012. Blue Origin has since conducted 36 New Shepard flights, though there are questions about whether the New Shepard has actually left the atmosphere. In 2023, the company started working with NASA on the Artemis program.

Beyond the company's advances as a launch provider, Blue Origin has created a nonprofit initiative called Club for the Future. The organization works with Florida school students to help them pursue their interests in the space program. The club also partners with local educators to develop lessons focused on space exploration, in an effort to help create the next generation of scientists and engineers.