Jeff Bezos-backed rocket company, Blue Origin, announced plans to lay off about ten percent of its workforce, Reuters reportedon Wednesday.
Bummer, Bezos getting tired of forking out $2 billion per year while SpaceX is out eating lunch?
Bummer. A lot of re-alignment in the space biz. SpaceX clearly ahead of all others in human spaceflight. I am rooting for Blue on the basis of competition making the whole endeavor better. Boeing no longer has credibility (and are barely hanging onto their rep with airline stuff). Interesting times.
Bummer. One of the richest men on this planet cannot afford to keep a few employees.
That’s how he stays “one of the richest men on the planet.”
Pretty typical in aerospace. Once the basic design work is completed and the hardware tested, the company doesn’t need the preliminary design people.
Blue Origin in Washington is located just a few blocks from Boeing’s Kent Space Center. A lot of workers came from Boeing, probably will be a few going back. Did that myself ~25 years go.
14,000 employees is a massive workforce for a company that has yet to prove itself as a high-frequency launch provider* or secure a steady revenue stream. That’ may be one reason the 10% layoffs (1,400 employees) happened, they likely had an unsustainable cost structure without enough launches to justify it.
I tend to agree with You, Mr. Rafael Sierra.
That was my thought as well, Raf. 14,000 employees seems like an awful lot for a relatively small company. Maybe they were all needed during R&D and design work, but not for ongoing operations. I too, hope that Blue Origin and New Glenn survive and thrive. Competiton is good for the space race.