CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Blue Origin, the space exploration venture founded by Jeff Bezos, has announced it will be reducing its workforce by 10%.

This decision follows the successful inaugural launch of the company’s New Glenn rocket, which accomplished its mission to reach orbit last month. On Thursday, CEO Dave Limp communicated this significant news to employees, with formal notifications distributed on Friday.

In an email that was later leaked, Limp described the layoffs as a difficult choice, emphasizing that the company experienced rapid growth over the past several years. He noted that such expansion led to increased bureaucracy and a dilution of focus within the organization.

According to Limp, these staffing cuts are essential for enhancing both manufacturing efficiency and the frequency of launches. Blue Origin, based in Kent, Washington, operates its New Glenn rockets primarily from Florida, while its smaller New Shepard rockets are launched from Texas.

Like its main rival SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, Blue Origin has secured contracts with NASA to facilitate astronaut landings on the moon over the next few years.

At this moment, it remains unclear exactly how many positions will be eliminated in this latest wave of layoffs, as Blue Origin, being a privately-held entity, does not regularly disclose its employee count.