Do we like them?

Do we like Blue Origin?

Rockets, engines, lunar landers and satellites (New Shepard, New Glenn, Blue Moon), based in Kent, Washington, USA

Our score: 5 out of 10. Mixed. It has big ambitions, real NASA work and new jobs. But it has a patchy launch record, a 2021 'toxic workplace' essay and layoffs, and we found no big fines. We'd wait.

Jeff Bezos started Blue Origin in 2000. It sits in Kent, Washington, and makes rockets, engines, lunar landers and now satellites. Dave Limp, a long-time Amazon executive, has been CEO since 2023. Bezos is the owner and the money behind it, so it has deep pockets.

In 2021, 21 current and former staff, led by ex-communications head Alexandra Abrams, published an essay calling the place toxic. They alleged sexism, strict NDAs and ignored safety worries. Blue Origin said it has no tolerance for discrimination or harassment and stands by its safety record. Abrams said she was fired, and the company said she was dismissed for cause.

In February 2025 it cut about 10% of its workforce, just a month after New Glenn's first launch. Limp said it had grown fast and gained bureaucracy and lost focus. He also said it would keep hiring in priority areas.

2026 has been bumpy. New Glenn's third flight in April lost its satellite after an upper-stage problem, and the FAA required an investigation. The FAA closed it in May. Then a New Glenn exploded during a hot-fire test in May and badly damaged the Florida pad. The return to flight has now slipped to January 2027, CNBC reports.

On the bright side, NASA has chosen it for Artemis work, including a lunar lander, and it has won a Mars orbiter contract. It is also building a Texas campus for 2,000 jobs and has launched a space-manufacturing apprenticeship. That makes it a real contender. Its record on safety, culture and delivery keeps the score in the middle.