Blue Origin

Corporate Policy

Key Launch Systems

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• New Shepard: A suborbital reusable rocket system designed for transporting payloads and passengers above the Kármán line (~100 km). It has flown multiple missions and conducted human spaceflight operations.
   

• New Glenn: A heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle designed for commercial and government missions, including placement of satellites and spacecraft to various orbits. Its first stage is designed for reuse via powered return and landing at sea.
   

Launch Operations

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• On January 16, 2025, New Glenn achieved Blue Origin’s first orbital launch, successfully deploying the Blue Ring Pathfinder payload to orbit. The planned re-landing of the first stage did not succeed, but Blue Origin reported all debris remained within designated hazard zones.
   

• Blue Origin targets continued launch cadence with follow-on missions (e.g., NG-2 late spring 2025), incorporating corrective actions (e.g., propellant management and engine control improvements) mandated as part of regulatory oversight prior to future flights.
   

Regulatory Oversight

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• Commercial launches in the U.S. are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under a licensed framework requiring safety, environmental, and public hazard management. Following ground or flight anomalies (e.g., failed landing attempts or vehicle mishaps), the FAA conducts investigations and requires corrective actions before subsequent flights are approved.
   

2. Space Debris, Mitigation, and Sustainable Operations

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Unlike launches and vehicle development, corporate-specific policies directly addressing space debris authored by Blue Origin are not publicly detailed in full like a formal corporate sustainability policy document dedicated to orbital debris. However, several relevant indicators and context points exist:

A. Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Positioning

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Blue Origin publicly describes sustainability priorities that implicitly relate to reducing launch-related environmental burden:

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• Reusable vehicles and engines. Reducing expendable stages and materials per launch inherently reduces potential debris generation and waste.
   

• Cleaner-burning propellants and supply-chain sustainability — Use of hydrogen/oxygen and LNG, and emphasis on recycling and low-impact facilities are corporate sustainability efforts.
   

This sustainability framing is not a direct space debris mitigation policy but positions reuse and environmental responsibility as corporate objectives.

B. Explicit Debris Mitigation Practices for Blue Origin Missions

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On select mission documentation (e.g., New Glenn mission descriptions) Blue Origin references debris mitigation procedures in alignment with established industry standards:

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• For orbital missions, Blue Origin states that after mission completion, the upper stage will be safed and inerted in compliance with NASA’s Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices. Safing and inerting prevents inadvertent explosions or breakup events that could generate debris.
   

This practice demonstrates operational compliance with external analytical standards concerning orbital debris mitigation, even though corporate internal policies are not publicly published in full.

C. Regulatory Frameworks Governing Debris and Launch Activities

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Blue Origin’s space launch activities take place within a broader U.S. regulatory framework that includes debris-related requirements:

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FAA Rules and Orbital Debris

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• The FAA regulates commercial launches and proposed rules aim to limit the growth of orbital debris by requiring operators to choose among various disposal techniques for rocket stages and upper components (e.g., controlled re-entry, transfer to graveyard orbits, escape trajectories, or active removal).
   

• The FAA’s licensing process would consider such mitigation plans; as debris risk grows with more commercial traffic and satellite deployments, these standards are central to sustainable space access.
   

Coordinated International Best Practices

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• International groups such as the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) publish debris mitigation recommendations (e.g., planning for mission end states), influencing national and corporate practices even if individual companies like Blue Origin do not independently publish detailed policy.
   

D. Industry Context and Blue Origin’s Position

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While Blue Origin does not widely publish a stand-alone space debris policy, industry engagement and regulatory commentary reflect concern over environmental and safety impacts of space operations:

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• Blue Origin has formally commented to the FAA on environmental impacts of competitor launch operations (e.g., urging limits on Starship launch rates due to predicted hazard footprints and impacts on shared infrastructure).
   

• This reflects corporate engagement on environmental risk, though it is primarily advocacy rather than a public corporate debris policy.
   

3. Launch Operations & Debris Sustainability

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Launch Technology and Reuse

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• Blue Origin’s core technical emphasis on reusable rockets (New Shepard, New Glenn) aligns with industry motives to reduce waste and long-term environmental impact from space launches.
   

Debris Mitigation in Practice

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• At least on mission-specific documentation, the company acknowledges compliance with orbital debris mitigation standards (e.g., inerting second stages post-mission).
   

• Formal, dedicated internal public policy documents regarding space debris management (like a detailed corporate debris policy) are not fully published or widely available in the public domain.
   

Regulatory and Industry Influences

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• Blue Origin’s aerospace activities operate under U.S. regulatory expectations (FAA licenses, upcoming FAA debris mitigation rule proposals) that require planning and mitigation of debris both for launch vehicles and end-of-mission disposal.
   

• Industry standards (such as NASA’s Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices and IADC guidance) shape how debris risk is analyzed and mitigated by commercial launch providers.
   

A. U.S. Government Policy and Regulatory Documents

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FAA Orbital Debris Rulemaking — Proposed and Current

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1. FAA Proposed Rule to Limit Orbital Debris Growth
    

   • In September 2023 the FAA proposed a rule designed to limit the growth of new orbital debris from commercial space vehicles, especially focusing on the disposal of upper stages and spent components. A key aim was to align commercial requirements with government debris mitigation standards and reduce risks of collisions in Earth orbit.
      

2. FAA NPRM Specifics on Debris Disposal and Lifecycle Criteria
    

   • The Federal Register text of the FAA notice detailed:
      

     • Requirement for an Orbital Debris Assessment Plan (ODAP) for launches exceeding 150 km altitude.
        

     • A 25-year maximum period for removing debris (>5 mm) from heavily used orbital regions.
        

     • Multiple approved disposal paths: controlled atmospheric reentry, graveyard orbit, Earth-escape trajectory, direct retrieval, or neutralization.
        

3. FAA Rule Withdrawal (2026)
    

   • In January 2026, the FAA published a notice withdrawing the previously proposed rule on debris mitigation for launch vehicle upper stages, indicating the agency chose not to pursue that specific regulatory path at this time. This has implications for how debris mitigation requirements may be implemented or deferred in future rulemaking cycles.
      

B. NASA Orbital Debris Mitigation Standards and Practices

1. NASA Technical Standards for Limiting Orbital Debris
    

   • NASA maintains NASA-STD-8719.14, a mandatory standard that sets technical criteria for limiting orbital debris generation in missions. This standard is used for NASA missions (government launches), including guidance on collision avoidance, mission planning, and hardware disposal.
      

2. NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR 8715.6)
    

   • This document mandates how NASA and NASA-sponsored missions must implement debris mitigation measures through planning, analysis, review, and documentation. It ensures spacecraft, launch vehicles, and associated debris-risk activities meet established standards. The procedures are updated regularly.
      

3. NASA Orbital Debris Assessment Tools (DAS)
    

   • NASA’s Debris Assessment Software (DAS) is a quantitative tool widely recognized in spacecraft mission design to evaluate and limit debris release and collision risk. It supports compliance with NASA standards and provides a baseline for assessing collision probability and debris risk.
      

C. U.S. Government Orbital Debris Mitigation Practices (“ODMSP”)

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1. U.S. Government Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices (ODMSP)
    

   • The ODMSP, originally established in 2001 and updated in 2019, forms the core foundation for debris mitigation policy across U.S. agencies. It is referenced in national space policy and shapes the debris mitigation expectations in government and, by extension, commercial satellite and launch activities. It calls for:
      

     • Limiting debris creation during normal operations
        

     • Minimizing accidental explosions
        

     • Planning for safe end-of-mission disposal
        

     • Avoiding long-lived debris in Earth orbit per established thresholds
        

D. Satellite & Spacecraft Debris Policy

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1. FCC Orbital Debris Mitigation Rules (Satellite Systems)
    

   • The Federal Communications Commission’s orbital debris rules apply to satellite operators and include probability-of-successful disposal metrics, particularly for large systems or constellations. While not directly targeting launch vehicle stages, these rules shape the broader commercial space debris landscape.
      

E. Technical and Academic Literature on Orbital Debris

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1. IADC & International Context
    

   • The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) — comprising multiple national space agencies — established the first widely accepted international debris mitigation guidelines in 2002. These guidelines align with U.N. recommendations and help shape national standards like ODMSP.
      

2. NASA ORDMSP Implementation and CubeSats
    

   • Studies such as Orbital Debris Mitigation and CubeSats illustrate how even small satellite classes must consider debris mitigation under modern standards, showing how mitigation expectations evolve with technology.
      

F. Congressional & Policy-Level Developments

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1. Federal Policy Updates Including Oversight of ODMSP
    

   • Legislative attention (e.g., Senate reports) has highlighted the need for updating the U.S. standard practices to address collision risk, explosion risk, casualty probability, spacecraft disposal timing, automated collision avoidance, and tracking capabilities — reflecting how debris policy is evolving at the national level.