Categories
Science UK News USA

Space will soon become humanity’s first home: Bezos

Bezos further noted that even his company’s name, ‘Blue Origin,’ was a nod to the idea of Earth as humanity’s origin point, not its final destiny…reports Asian Lite News.

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos has predicted that space will become humanity’s home one day and that people will visit Earth on vacation.

Bezos said that in centuries to come, people will be born in space and live in giant floating cylinders that could house up to a million people and re-create Earth’s gravity and environment, with ‘rivers, forests and wildlife’ and regular Terran weather, Daily Mail reported.

The tech titan said this at the Washington Cathedral as part of the 2021 Ignatius Forum in DC, hosted by Adi Ignatius, editor in chief of Harvard Business Review, this week.

“Over centuries, many people will be born in space, it will be their first home,” Bezos said.

“They will be born on these colonies, live on these colonies, then they’ll visit Earth the way you would visit, you know, Yellowstone National Park,” he said.

Bezos further noted that even his company’s name, ‘Blue Origin,’ was a nod to the idea of Earth as humanity’s origin point, not its final destiny.

Previously, Bezos talked up his idea about space habitats, and called them ‘O’Neill colonies’, after physicist Gerard O’Neill, who theorised other planets might not be the best place to house humans beyond Earth.

He said own trip beyond Earth in July was even more transformational than he had imagined.

“The magnitude of that experience was so much bigger than I could have ever anticipated,” he told the audience.

“It really is such a change in perspective that shows you in a very powerful and emotional way, just how fragile this Earth is. I wish everyone could have that perspective,” he added.

Bezos said his passion for space exploration started when he was 5 years old and Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon.

“I’ve always had the dream of having a company like Blue Origin to build what I see as the road to space.”

Bezos, 57, also confirmed he believed in extra-terrestrial life.

“How could there not be? There are so many stars, just in this galaxy. And then so many galaxies,” he added.

ALSO READ-Bezos to fly to space next month

Categories
Technology USA

Bezos to fly to space next month

While Blue Origin had, last month, announced to fly its first astronaut crew to space, it did not say that Bezos himself would be taking part…reports Asian Lite News

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said he will fly to the edge of space along with brother onboard his company Blue Origin’s tourism rocket — New Shepard — on July 20.

In a video uploaded on his Instagram profile, Bezos is heard saying that he and his brother Mark will be launching into space on July 20 aboard a rocket built by his space company Blue Origin, the Verge reported.

While Blue Origin had, last month, announced to fly its first astronaut crew to space, it did not say that Bezos himself would be taking part.

Bezos further said that taking a journey into space has been a lifelong dream for him, and that it will be “meaningful” to have his brother along for the ride.

“You see the earth from space and it changes you. It changes your relationship with this planet, with humanity. It’s one Earth,” he said.

“I want to go on this flight because it’s the thing I’ve wanted to do all my life. It’s an adventure. It’s a big deal for me,” he added.

The five-storey-tall New Shepard rocket is designed to launch a crew capsule with seats for six roughly 340,000 feet into the sky toward the edge of space. Paying tourists can experience a few minutes of weightlessness in microgravity and witness super high-altitude views of Earth.

The booster is topped by a gumdrop-shaped Crew Capsule with space for six passengers inside and large windows.

After reaching the Karman line, the internationally recognised boundary of Earth’s outermost atmosphere, which is 100 kilometres above sea level, the capsule will detach from the booster, allowing those inside to view the curvature of the earth and experience weightlessness.

The booster and capsule will then land separately, with the capsule landing in the west Texas desert with the help of parachutes.

In addition to Jeff and Mark Bezos, one seat on the flight will be claimed by the winning bidder of an ongoing online auction. The auction ends on June 12 and currently has a high bid of $2,800,000, the report said.

New Shepard has flown 15 successful consecutive missions to space and back above the Karman Line through a meticulous and incremental flight programme to test its multiple redundant safety systems.

Bezos’ rival Elon Musk is also expected to launch one of his crewed SpaceX Dragonships later this year.

ALSO READ: Trump Tries Block Amazon Bids