Launch Site One, or Corn Ranche, is a private spaceport in the West Texas town of Van Horn, Texas. The 670-square-kilometer (165,000-acre) land parcel was purchased by Internet billionaire and founder of aerospace company Blue Origin Jeff Bezos. Current launch license and experimental permits from the US government Federal Aviation Administration authorize sub-orbital spaceflights of New Shepard rockets of the private space company Blue Origin. The first flight test took place on November 13, 2006 and the first human sub-orbital spaceflight launched at Launch Site One on July 20, 2021. The launch complex is located in a remote area of desert in the Guadalupe Mountains in West Texas and there are no on-site public viewing areas in the vicinity for people who want to see a launch.
The launch pad of the New Shepard rocket is located about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) north of the check-out building. The landing pad for the New Shepard rocket is located about 6.1 km (3.8 mi) north of a check-out building and 3.2 km (2 mi) north of the launch pad. In addition to the suborbital launch complex, Launch Site One includes a number of rocket engine test stands. The commercial spaceport included a vehicle processing facility, a launch complex, vehicle landing and recovery area, an astronaut training facility, lodging, and other support facilities.
Launch pads
| Launch Pad 1: | New Shepard |
Credit: Blue Origin
