U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday praised Blue Origin for its contributions to U.S. military operations and space exploration, speaking at the company’s rocket manufacturing facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
During remarks delivered at the site, Hegseth reviewed Department of Defense activities carried out during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term and said Blue Origin-developed launch systems had been critical to several operations. He underscored the importance of speed and efficiency in defense manufacturing. “You guys were under budget and ahead of schedule,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth also emphasized the strategic importance of space to U.S. national security, calling it “the ultimate high ground” and arguing that the United States must maintain what he described as “American space dominance.”
Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, has recently said it is shifting resources away from space tourism to support U.S. efforts to return to the Moon and establish a sustained presence there. “The decision reflects Blue Origin’s commitment to the nation’s goal of returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent, sustained lunar presence,” the company said in a statement last week.
Bezos, who attended the event, also addressed the audience. “The systems we’re building today provide the asymmetrical advantages that America needs to lead,” he said.
Hegseth’s visit coincided with preparations for NASA Artemis 2, which is undergoing a “wet dress rehearsal” on Monday. Artemis 2 is set to be the first crewed mission around the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. Earlier in the day, Hegseth met with NASA officials and viewed the rocket ahead of the test.
The stop at Blue Origin is part of Hegseth’s nationwide “Arsenal of Freedom” tour, which the Pentagon has described as an effort to revitalize U.S. manufacturing capacity and strengthen the defense industrial base.
