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Blue Origin tells Senate committee New Glenn work is centered on Space Coast; company cites jobs, $3 billion local investment and imminent launch
Summary
Blue Origin Director of Government Relations Megan Green briefed the Senate committee on the company’s Florida manufacturing, launch and workforce efforts, said New Glenn’s inaugural launch is targeted for later this week, and described local education and veteran-hiring programs.
Megan Green, director of government relations for Blue Origin, told the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security that the company has a substantial manufacturing and launch presence on Florida’s Space Coast and is targeting an inaugural New Glenn launch later this week.
“Blue Origin was founded in the year 2000 with a vision of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth,” Green said, summarizing the company’s mission and describing a three-part strategy of reducing launch costs, harnessing space resources and inspiring the next generation.
Green said Blue Origin has more than 36,100 full-time employees in Florida, has invested over $3,000,000,000 in Space Coast facilities and exceeded job and investment commitments the company made when selecting Florida for its New Glenn manufacturing campus. She described the manufacturing complex that produces the New Glenn booster and highlighted launch complex 36 (LC-36), where Blue Origin completed integrated testing and conducted a hot-fire. The first stage of New Glenn is reusable and is designed to land on the company’s offshore recovery vessel the Jacklyn; that vessel and the Harvey Stone are based at Port Canaveral, Green said.
Green discussed workforce development partnerships in Florida. She described industry collaboration with Space Florida and said Blue Origin supported Space Academies in more than 30 public school districts. The company runs technical internships with Eastern Florida State College and traditional aerospace internships that recruit from four-year universities; Green described an internal veterans’ business-resource group and participation in military transition programs.
Committee members asked for launch timing and follow-up engagement. Senator Burgess asked whether the committee would be able to view the launch; Green said the company was “targeting later this week, a launch window opening Thursday at 1 AM,” while noting any window is subject to change. Legislators encouraged continued partnership on workforce programs and thanked Blue Origin for local procurement and investment.
Why it matters: Blue Origin’s Florida manufacturing, launch and workforce activity contributes to local jobs and port operations, and the imminent New Glenn milestone has implications for commercial and national security launch capability from Florida. Green also described business outreach and educational programs intended to grow the pipeline of skilled technicians and engineers.
Ending: After the Blue Origin briefing the committee had no additional speakers and a motion to adjourn was adopted.
