Kent-based space business Blue Origin last week received a grant of $3.7 million from NASA for the private, commercial business’ work to support transport of crew to and from low-Earth orbit.

Blue Origin, founded in 2000 by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, is one of several companies to receive a grant for their work.

The grant is part of President Barack Obama’s new direction on space flight, which will shift flights to space to the commercial sector after NASA’s Space Shuttle fleet is retired at the end of this year.

Blue Origin has successfully launched its “Goddard” capsule three times.

“We are pleased to be selected by NASA as a member of the CCDev. (commercial crew development) team. Blue Origin continues to work patiently and step-by-step to lower the cost of spaceflight so that humans can continue exploring the solar system,” said Rob Meyerson, program manager, in an e-mail responding to questions from the Kent Reporter.

Blue Origin is one of five companies that is splitting $50 million in the federal Space Act Agreements grant program, designed to foster entrepreneurial activity leading to high-tech job growth in engineering, analysis, design and research, and to promote economic growth, as capabilities for new markets are created.

Funding for the Space Act Agreements is part of the National Recovery Act and designed to stimulate efforts within the private sector to develop and demonstrate human space-flight capabilities.

For more information about the company, visit www.blueorigin.com.