New Glenn, which has been in development for about a decade, can carry 50 tons (45 metric tons) of payload to low Earth orbit (LEO). Its 23-foot-wide (7 m) payload fairing — the shell that surrounds and protects satellites during launch — is larger than that of any operational rocket.

Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp outlined the cutbacks in a Thursday morning email to employees, who were later notified of their job status via emails.