**Space Ambitions: Blue Origin’s Quest for Orbital Dominance**
In a bold move, Dave Limp, former senior Amazon executive, took the reins as CEO of Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ space venture, nine months ago. Limp’s appointment marked a significant shift in the company’s trajectory, as he brought his expertise in manufacturing and decisiveness to the table. Bezos, adamant that Blue Origin needed to be a business, convinced Limp to join the space sector, despite initial reservations.
Limp’s primary focus has been on transforming Blue Origin’s culture, instilling Amazon’s customer-centric principles, and making delivering for customers the top priority. He has made key leadership additions, including Allen Parker as CFO, Jennifer Pena-Leanos as chief people officer, and Ian Richardson as senior vice president of manufacturing operations.
The company is on the cusp of launching its New Glenn rocket, a towering 320-foot-tall launch vehicle capable of lifting 45,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit. The rocket’s first launch attempt is slated for November, with a demonstration of its spacecraft Blue Ring on board. Blue Origin aims to return and land the rocket’s booster, unlocking cost and time efficiencies.
Limp has two main goals for his first year as CEO: launching New Glenn and getting engine production humming. The company has delivered eight flight-ready BE-4 engines to ULA and seven for its first New Glenn launch. Limp aims to increase engine production to about one per week by the end of the year and sub-10 days by 2025.
Blue Origin plans to scale the cadence of New Glenn missions quickly, targeting 10 launches next year. While it still has a ways to go to rival SpaceX, Limp is confident about the company’s prospects. He also hinted at the possibility of developing a New Glenn crew capsule, aligning with Blue Origin’s mission to have millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth.
Beyond New Glenn and engine production, Blue Origin has made progress in other areas, including winning a $3.4 billion NASA contract to build a lunar lander and entering the Pentagon’s National Security Space Launch program. As Limp navigates the challenges of leading a space company, he remains committed to building a business that is financially disciplined, makes quick decisions, and learns from its mistakes.
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