WASHINGTON — The Air Force Research Laboratory has added $11.7 million to a Blue Origin contract aimed at exploring how commercial rockets could be used to transport military supplies around the world, expanding the agreement to about $13 million.
The modification, announced on July 31, builds on a roughly $1.3 million contract awarded to the company last year. Work is expected to be completed by October 2027.
Under the agreement, Blue Origin will define technical and mission requirements for adapting its systems to support “point-to-point” cargo transport. The concept involves launching supplies aboard a rocket from one location and delivering them to a designated destination, potentially cutting journeys that now take hours or days to less than an hour.
The contract remains focused on studies and systems analysis rather than an operational launch or a demonstration of a complete cargo-delivery system.
Blue Origin is one of several companies receiving funding through the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket Experimentation for Global Agile Logistics program, known as REGAL. The program is the laboratory’s main vehicle for evaluating commercial proposals related to rocket cargo.
Anduril Industries, Sierra Space and Rocket Lab have also received awards through REGAL.
The Air Force for years has remained interested in using commercial launch vehicles to transport cargo. But significant challenges remain, including safely handling military cargo, protecting payloads during launch and re-entry, identifying suitable landing or recovery sites and making the service affordable compared with existing aircraft and sealift options.
Blue Origin’s reusable heavy-lift rocket, New Glenn, has completed three orbital flights since its January 2025 debut but the rocket is currently grounded after a May 28, 2026, hot-fire test anomaly damaged launch-pad equipment in Florida. Blue Origin said it plans to return New Glenn to flight by the end of the year.
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