Blue Origin has hired at least 47 people who previously worked on Amazon Leo in the past year, based on their LinkedIn pages, and many now list roles on TeraWave, the satellite communications program Blue Origin announced in January. Among the newcomers are engineers experienced in testing satellites, networking, avionics, radio communications, optical technologies, and software. Their LinkedIn pages show that, since March, a recruiting director for TeraWave and no fewer than two vice presidents have likewise departed Amazon Leo to join Blue Origin.
The hiring spree is as much about geography as strategy. In Washington state, the roster of major space employers is short, and headhunters familiar with both organizations say Blue Origin is selling candidates on the chance to build something from scratch. The two companies sit on the same Seattle talent pool and even the leadership paths cross: Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp previously ran the Amazon division overseeing Amazon Leo, which earlier went by Project Kuiper.
The TeraWave program is headed by Lindo St. Angel, a veteran leader from Amazon's devices group who departed the company late last year. Neither Blue Origin nor Amazon provided comment, according to their spokespeople.
Amazon Leo itself has been in development since 2018, when Amazon brought in executives who had departed Elon Musk's Starlink. Employees bouncing between Bezos-founded firms is a familiar local theme, and this round looks like more of the same.
Amazon Leo is targeting the launch of broadband service to customers by year end, with ambitions to sell to households, businesses, and government users globally. Like SpaceX's Starlink, Amazon Leo delivers connectivity to terminals at homes and workplaces.
TeraWave is charting a different route. Regulatory filings indicate it aims to avoid the mass-market fight, instead selling large volumes of data to a smaller set of users who connect through Blue Origin's ground data hubs. The pitch is aimed at businesses and governments with data needs that once would have required a custom fiber line. TeraWave is seeking regulatory approval to build a constellation of thousands of satellites and is aiming to start deploying them by the end of next year.
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That timeline is a stretch. Caleb Henry at Quilty Space, who tracks private space companies, notes that satellite networks typically take five to 10 years to assemble. By then, he said, Amazon Leo and Starlink may be delivering data closer to what TeraWave is promising. "Then the whole idea of being differentiated falls away."
Meanwhile, Blue Origin is still working to get New Glenn flying after years of delays. During May preflight checks, an explosion forced the cancellation of a launch that was meant to send Amazon Leo satellites to orbit, leaving the rocket grounded.
Five years ago, Jeff Bezos relinquished the Amazon CEO role, yet he still serves as board chair and as the company's largest individual shareholder. Since leaving the day-to-day role, he has put more of his time into Blue Origin. He remains an active member of Amazon's board, holding recurring meetings with senior managers and groups focused on artificial intelligence projects.
He has also invested in the AI startup Prometheus, where he holds the title of co-CEO, and the company is focused on applying AI models to real-world engineering work. Separately, Amazon is already weaving AI into the millions of robots working in its e-commerce warehouses.
This is a two-front story: a race to stand up massive satellite networks and a steady push to embed AI into everything these companies do. Hiring shows where bets are being placed, and Blue Origin's moves suggest a serious push to build a new data network while Amazon zeroes in on consumer broadband and AI-driven operations.
