The company recently debuted its New Glenn rocket, which could rival SpaceX's Falcon Heavy. Blue Origin is reportedly planning on letting go of approximately 10% of its workforce—about 1,000 employees—nearly a month after the inaugural liftoff of New Glenn. The company is hoping to focus on growth over the next few years, increasing the production and launch cadence of its new giant rocket. In an email sent to employees on Thursday, Blue Origin CEO David Limp announced the layoffs that will affect “positions in engineering, (research and development), and program/project management and thinning out our layers of management,” according to a copy of the email obtained by CNN. After years of delays, Blue Origin finally debuted its New Glenn rocket on January 16. The heavy-lift launch vehicle blasted off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, marking the first time a Blue Origin rocket reached orbit (the company’s New Shepard rocket, used for space tourism purposes, is suborbital). New Glenn’s second stage reached its target orbit following a pair of successful burns of the BE-3U engines, while its booster was lost during descent. The company was hoping to carry out a soft landing of the booster on an ocean-based platform, but alas, that didn’t happen. Still, the rocket’s inaugural flight was a major success. During an all-hands call on Thursday, Limp argued that the company’s decision to let go of more than 1,000 employees would help Blue Origin scale the manufacturing of New Glenn and increase its launch cadence, Reuters reported. The rocket could pose some serious competition for SpaceX, further fueling the rivalry between Blue Origin’s founder Jeff Bezos and SpaceX’s Elon Musk. New Glenn is a partially reusable, heavy-lift rocket capable of lifting 45 metric tons to low Earth orbit and 13 metric tons to geostationary transfer orbit. The 313-foot-tall (95-meter) rocket has a reusable first stage, powered by seven methane-burning BE-4 engines. By comparison, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy is a partially reusable, heavy-lift rocket capable of carrying 63 metric tons to low Earth orbit and 26 metric tons to geostationary orbit. SpaceX has been an industry favorite for years, while Bezos’ Blue Origin finally got it together last year under new leadership. The company replaced Bob Smith as CEO, hiring former Amazon executive Limp as his replacement. Blue Origin employees, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said that Limp has been tasked with streamlining the company’s business units and pushing for greater focus on New Glenn, providing an overall sense of urgency after years of stagnation. Limp’s push for speed, however, has affected morale and company culture, Blue Origin employees told Reuters. It’s good to see the company making progress on its space ambition, but that, unfortunately, seems to have come at a price.