SPACE FOR HUMANITY STATEMENT ON BLUE ORIGIN PAUSE OF NEW SHEPARD PROGRAM

BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Following Blue Origin's announcement that it will be pausing its New Shepard launch program, Space for Humanity has released the following statement:

"We owe gratitude and admiration to companies like Blue Origin and their contemporaries. Especially to the dedicated and talented staff that are the reason these modern marvels take flight. It is disheartening whenever a space flight program is delayed, paused, or ended. However, this isn't a step back, it's a step up. Going to the Moon is hard and the decision to shift focus and put resources behind that goal is understandable. In this modern era of space travel, private commercial aerospace companies have expanded humanity's access to and reach into space in ways undreamt of just decades ago.

Space for Humanity is fortunate to have utilized launch programs at both Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic over recent years to help send civilian astronauts to space. Together, we've been able to send trailblazers like:

• Katya Echazarreta – the first Mexican-born woman to go to space
• Sara Sabry – the first Egyptian, Arab woman, and woman from the African continent to go to space
• Keisha Schahaff and her daughter, Anastasia – the first Antiguans and only mother/daughter duo to travel to space together
• Ed Dwight – at 90, the oldest person to go to space, and a retired U.S. Air Force captain who was denied his opportunity to become the first Black astronaut decades ago
• Amanda Nguyen – the first Vietnamese and the first Southeast Asian woman to go to space, and a profoundly impactful advocate for survivors of sexual assault

Those astronauts experienced the Overview Effect, returned to Earth, and have continued our true mission to inspire countless people around the world to dream of, reach for, and access space.

Space for Humanity has been shifting our programs and missions to provide experiences and engagements with people around the world who want to go to the stars. Today's announcement is just a reminder of what we already know: if we are not evolving and pushing ourselves upward in new ways, we risk falling behind.

We are still witnessing humanity's access to the cosmos increasing at a rapid rate. Space for Humanity looks forward to future missions that have already been in development and are not affected by today's announcement. We will be sharing the details of our upcoming programs in the weeks and months ahead as we continue to take our mission to new heights. Regardless of the logo on the rocket, Space for Humanity will continue to help dreams take flight, shift global perspectives, and remind us all of the greater picture."

About Space for Humanity:

Space for Humanity is a globally recognized, 501c3 nonprofit organization committed to expanding access to space for all the world's citizens and cultivating a global network of leaders equipped with the perspective to create a more interconnected world and inspire a better, brighter future for all.

To learn more about Space for Humanity's work, please visit: https://spaceforhumanity.org.

Media Contact: Brandon Fibbs, [email protected]

SOURCE Space for Humanity