Dave Limp, Amazon’s former device chief, to lead Blue Origin as new CEO

Limp will replace Bob Smith, who has been the CEO of Blue Origin since 2017. Smith will step down on January 2, 2023, after ensuring a smooth transition, according to an internal memo from Bezos obtained by CNBC.

Limp will join Blue Origin on December 4, 2023, and will report directly to Bezos, who remains the executive chairman and chief visionary of the company.

Bezos praised Limp’s achievements at Amazon and expressed his confidence in his leadership for Blue Origin.

“Dave is a proven innovator with a customer-first mindset and extensive experience leading and scaling large, complex organizations. Dave has an outstanding sense of urgency, brings energy to everything, and helps teams move very fast,” Bezos wrote in the memo.

Limp was responsible for overseeing some of Amazon’s most successful products, such as the Kindle e-reader, the Echo smart speaker, the Alexa voice assistant, the Fire TV streaming device, and the Ring smart home security system. He also managed Project Kuiper, Amazon’s satellite internet venture that competes with SpaceX’s Starlink.

Limp’s appointment comes at a critical time for Blue Origin, which is facing multiple challenges and opportunities in the space industry.

Blue Origin is developing its next-generation rocket, New Glenn, which is expected to launch in 2024. New Glenn is designed to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets for commercial and government contracts.

Blue Origin is also working on its lunar lander, Blue Moon, which is one of the three contenders for NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) program. The HLS program aims to return humans to the moon by 2024 as part of the Artemis mission. However, Blue Origin is currently protesting NASA’s decision to award the sole contract to SpaceX.

Blue Origin is also pursuing its space tourism business with its suborbital rocket, New Shepard. New Shepard has successfully flown 17 times and carried four passengers, including Bezos himself, to the edge of space in July. However, New Shepard has not flown since then and has not announced any future flights or ticket prices.

Limp will have to navigate these challenges and opportunities while maintaining Blue Origin’s vision of building a future where millions of people can live and work in space.

“I’m thrilled to join Blue Origin at this pivotal moment in history,” Limp said in a statement. “I’ve always been fascinated by space exploration and the possibilities it holds for humanity. I’m honored to work with Jeff and the talented team at Blue Origin to make this vision a reality.”