Bezos' Blue Origin Launches Fourth Launch-and-Land Rocket Test

Jeff Bezos' space transportation company Blue Origin on Sunday (June 19) successfully launched and landed for the fourth time a suborbital rocket capable of carrying six passengers.

The New Shepard rocket and capsule blasted off from a launch site in West Texas and landed minutes later back at a landing pad. The capsule, which was flying autonomously, parachuted to a nearby site.

"Successful mission," Bezos declared on Twitter.

The founder of Amazon.com has said that Blue Origin expects to begin crewed test flights of the New Shepard next year and begin flying paying passengers as early as 2018.