Jeff Bezos' Comments About The Future Of Space Exploration Are Raising Eyebrows
Every day, we stray further from Earth... or, at least, that's what Jeff Bezos believes. The Amazon and Blue Origin tycoon, who is currently the second-richest person in the world, has been embroiled in a bitter feud for space supremacy with Richard Branson and SpaceX founder Elon Musk for quite some time. Together, the three have collectively poured innumerable amounts of money into their respective missions to infiltrate space and make it a habitable environment for all humankind.
According to Blue Origin's website, the organization "was founded by Jeff Bezos with the vision of enabling a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth." Their statement continues, adding, "In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes that humanity will need to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space."
Musk, the richest man in the world, on the other hand, helped pioneer SpaceX and seeks to colonize Mars instead. According to The Week, Musk said that, "This is not about sending a few people to Mars... [but about] the creation of a self-sustaining city with the objective of being a multi-planet species." Be that as it may, it seems as if Jeff Bezos has even bigger plans than that.
Jeff Bezos wants humans to completely inhabit space and use Earth for vacations
Commuting in New York City is a nightmare. Taking the train alone can take you an hour-plus to travel, notwithstanding delays and various other unpredictabilities. Driving within NYC can be time-consuming as well, as it's essentially a lawless, jam-packed demolition derby. However, these commute times will probably pale in comparison to what Jeff Bezos has in mind.
According to Deadline, the Amazon and Blue Origin entrepreneur not only wants to completely inhabit space, but he also wants to keep Earth on reserve for vacations. Per the outlet, Bezos spoke at the Ignatius Forum and revealed, "Over centuries, many people will be born in space, it will be their first home" and that Earth will be a novelty for vacations, much like "the way you visit Yellowstone National Park." Per TMZ, his plans consist of sprawling space cities teeming with wildlife, flowing waters, forestry, and more. He also noted that space citizens — have we coined a term for this yet? — "will be born on these colonies [and] live on these colonies" before venturing off to Earth for fun.
Bezos' comments come mere weeks after Blue Origin revealed plans to develop a space station for tourists, rivaling the size of the International Space Station (per CNN). The outlet notes that the project will likely be accompanied by a hefty multibillion-dollar price tag, but the company is currently making plans to finance the ambitious space station.