In an email to employees, the company’s chief executive said the company had become bloated during its growth in recent years.

Blue Origin has drawn unfavorable comparisons to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which leapfrogged many startups to become the world’s most prolific rocket launcher.

In the memo to staff, Blue Origin's chief executive, Dave Limp, said the job cuts are part of a plan to trim managerial ranks and focus resources on ramping up rocket launches. Blue Origin has recently completed the first test flight of its New Glenn rocket,