Jeff Bezos' rocket company Blue Origin to begin test flights this year

Blue Origin achieves 'acceptance testing' for its New Shepherd suborbital system, which would be 'modified for upper-stage applications'

Jeff Bezos has Amazon, drones, the Washington Post - and now he says he has a liquid hydrogen-powered rocket engine suitable for starting businesses in space.

Blue Origin, the e-commerce billionaire's commercial spaceflight venture, announced on Tuesday it had achieved "acceptance testing" for BE-3, the company's New Shepherd suborbital system, and would be "modified for upper-stage applications" that will presumably push the rocket into orbit and beyond.