Blue Origin

Blue Origin, the rocket company that’s either aiming for the stars or just engaging in an expensive hobby, was founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, who presumably decided Amazon needed a little competition in the space race. Known for its relentless quest to make space travel as routine as a cross-country flight, the company’s defining moment came in 2021 when Bezos himself rode his own New Shepard rocket into suborbital space, proving once and for all that billionaires can indeed buy the sky. Currently, Blue Origin's valuation is as inflated as the ego of its founder, though exact figures are as elusive as Bezos’s long-term vision. The company boasts a handful of awards for technological innovation and has etched its name into the annals of space history, albeit with some notable blips. Its track record includes a fair share of setbacks, from test flights that resemble fireworks displays to delays that have more spin than a NASA satellite. With Bezos's shadow looming large and the company’s ambitious plans unfolding at a glacial pace, Blue Origin’s journey is as much about drama as it is about reaching orbit.