The capsule, carrying 30 science payloads, landed in the desert 10 minutes after liftoff, slowed by parachutes and a final nudge from its retrorockets. Blue Origin builds and tests its rocket engines in Huntsville. Some of its engines are also used on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rockets.

Blue Origin announced plans to lay off about 10% of its workforce — or more than 1,000 employees — nearly a month after the company debuted its first orbital rocket.

In the memo to staff, Blue Origin's chief executive, Dave Limp, said the job cuts are part of a plan to trim managerial ranks and focus resources on ramping up rocket launches. Blue Origin has recently completed the first test flight of its New Glenn rocket,