Elaine Jean Science 01.29.2022 11:Jan AM EST

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin To Acquire Pioneer Rover Hardware Company Honeybee: How This Could Help Them

Jeff Bezos now officially owns Honeybee Robotics.

Honeybee Robotics, a pioneer in the field of developing specialized equipment for space probes, has been acquired by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space enterprise.

The robotics company makes next-generation applications a reality by combining the brightest minds with the best technology through creative, collaborative innovation.

It has executed thousands of projects, including flight legacy since 1983, for a variety of major commercial and exploratory missions.

What is Honeybee?

According to Honeybee Robotics, Honeybee began as a systems integrator utilizing off-the-shelf robots in 1983 formed by Steve Gorevan and Chris Chapman.

Their first offices were above a piano shop on New York City's Lower East Side.

Robotic arms, robot end-effectors, and clever task-oriented electromechanical systems were among the early projects the company has worked on for firms like IBM, Allied Signal, The Salk Institute, Merck, 3M, and Con Edison.

Honeybee Robotics immediately earned a reputation for its creative problem-solving and unique design skills.

Jeff Bazos' Blue Origin Acquires Honeybee

Ensign-Bickford Industries, Honeybee's parent company since 2017, is anticipated to conclude the acquisition in mid-February.

The financial details were kept under wraps.

Honeybee said it would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bezos' privately held company, which is based in Kent, Wash., but that "business as usual" will continue, with substantial activities in Colorado and California.

Honeybee has completed over 1,000 complex projects for customers in a variety of industries, including defense robotics, medical devices, mining, and Mars exploration.

It made the drills for NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, as well as the rock abrasion tools for NASA's Opportunity and Spirit rovers on Mars.

In a press statement, GeekWire reported that the firm president Kiel Davis noted that they have been building Honeybee's capabilities and brand for almost 40 years.

The honeybee is excited to increase its capacity with Blue Origin to solve the most interesting problems in next-generation space transportation, space mobility, space tourism, and planetary science and exploration.

Davis added that becoming a member of Blue Origin is a huge step forward for the company.

Blue Origin has been in the news recently for its New Shepard suborbital space flights, but the company is also working on its orbital-class New Glenn rocket, as well as a commercial space station and projects that go beyond Earth orbit.

The Honeybee Robotics Moving Forward

According to The Robot Report, Honeybee's capabilities and experience, according to Blue Origin, are complementary to the company's goals of making space flying routine and releasing space resources for the benefit of Earth.

Brent Sherwood, Blue Origin's senior vice president of advanced research initiatives stated that they are ecstatic to have Honeybee Robotics join their team.

The company added that they are familiar with Honeybee's leadership.

The company's brand, talent, unique expertise, and product lines are all important to Blue Origin. And they are confident that by working together, they will be able to achieve great things.

Honeybee's operations will continue as usual, with no significant changes to the company's brand, leadership, customer promises, goods, services, or processes.

As Honeybee and Blue Origin work together to develop space for the benefit of Earth, their combined talents will provide new opportunities, efficiencies, and breakthroughs over time.