Critics say Blue Origin’s culture is dysfunctional. Is it dangerous, too?

Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin is facing an outpouring of internal criticism even as it begins regularly flying people into space. Current and former employees say that its culture is not only toxic for employees, but could put its passengers at risk.

As the company prepares for its second launch with human passengers on Oct. 13, it’s worth understanding what these concerns mean for Blue Origin, which has a near-spotless launch record with its New Shepard suborbital rocket.

The New Shepard is designed to carry up to six passengers about 100 km (60 miles) above the planet on eleven-minute flights. It first flew in 2015, immediately winning plaudits as the first fully-reusable suborbital rocket system. Two different versions of the vehicle flew nine times through 2019, when the company said it expected to start selling tickets. But those plans were delayed in favor of three more years of development, and a third New Shepard took passengers to the edge of space for the first time earlier this year.

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