Blue Origin, the space exploration company founded by Jeff Bezos, is laying off 10 percent of its workforce - approximately 1,400 employees - in an effort to streamline operations and reduce bureaucracy, CEO Dave Limp announced in an internal email.
The layoffs primarily impact program and project management, research and development, and engineering roles. The move aligns with Blue Origin’s annual operating plan, which aims to ramp up manufacturing and increase the frequency of rocket launches. The company is among several planning commercial moon missions for 2025.
Despite recent successes, including the January launch of its New Glenn orbital rocket and a return to space tourism in December 2024, Blue Origin remains behind competitor SpaceX, which has conducted more frequent launches. Reducing staff may help the company cut costs, a priority for Bezos, according to Ars Technica.
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Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket early Thursday, marking a key milestone in the satellite launch industry. The rocket, featuring a reusable first stage, lifted off from Cape Canaveral, positioning Blue Origin as a competitor to SpaceX in commercial space exploration.
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Blue Origin
Blue Origin cancels launch due to rocket subsystem issues, with no new timeline set. Engineers are troubleshooting as the rocket is defueled for further assessment.
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Blue Origin is set to launch its New Glenn rocket from Florida early Monday, marking a key step in its efforts to challenge SpaceX in the satellite launch market. The inaugural flight aims to test both the rocket’s performance and its booster landing capabilities.
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