That might feel like a surprise to investors. Competitive threats typically come from companies that do similar things, such as offering launch services such as Rocket Lab USA or build space capsules such as Boeing .
“Dave is a proven innovator with a customer-first mind-set. He has extensive experience in the high-tech industry and growing highly complex organizations,” said Blue Origin in a Monday email. “In his six years, Bob led Blue Origin’s transformation from an R&D-focused company into a multifaceted space business nearing $10 billion in customer orders and over 10,000 employees. Dave will join in December, and Bob will be here through Jan. 2 to ensure a smooth transition.
Amazon has contracted with ULA, Arianespace, and Blue Origin to carry Kuiper satellites into space. ULA is the space launch joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin . Arianespace is the space-launch joint venture between Airbus and Safran . Kuiper satellites aren’t in orbit yet, but the goal is to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink service. SpaceX uses its own rockets to carry Starlink satellites to space, and more than 4,800 satellites are in orbit today. People can buy consumer Starlink Wi-Fi hardware from Home Depot .