Amazon veteran Dave Limp to lead Jeff Bezos's space company
Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos's space tourism and rocket company, has announced the appointment of Dave Limp, currently the Senior Vice President of Devices and Services at Amazon, as its new CEO. Limp will replace Bob Smith, who is stepping down from his role. The transition is set to begin on December 4, with Smith staying on until January 2 to ensure a smooth handover.
Limp's tech expertise to boost Blue Origin's space ambitions
Limp, who served at Amazon for almost 14 years, has extensive experience in the high-tech industry, overseeing Amazon's Echo hardware line, Alexa voice assistant business, and the satellite venture, Project Kuiper. His involvement with Project Kuiper is particularly relevant to Blue Origin's future plans, as the company is a major contractor for the satellite launches.
Smith's legacy: Transforming Blue Origin
Smith, a former Honeywell executive, has led Blue Origin since 2017. Under his leadership, the company transformed from an R&D-focused organization into a multifaceted space business. With his guidance at the helm, the company achieved the acquisition of nearly $10 billion in customer orders and saw its workforce grow to exceed 10,000 individuals.
Ambitious projects ahead: New Glenn and Artemis
Blue Origin is working on several ambitious projects, including the development of the heavy-lift rocket New Glenn, which aims to compete with SpaceX for satellite launch contracts. The company has also won a $3.5 billion contract for NASA's moon exploration program, Artemis. However, it is worth noting that Blue Origin faced delays in delivering its BE-4 engines for United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket and experienced a failed uncrewed science mission with its New Shepard spacecraft in September 2022.
