Tech billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos started their space adventures around the same time around the turn of the millennium. But while Elon Musk’s SpaceX has taken great strides, Bezos’ Blue origin has let the first real space flight wait.
Of the world’s 250 commercial space flights last year, Musk’s SpaceX accounted for more than half. But now Jeff Bezos is, if not caught up, then at least in the right orbit.
Bezos’ new rocket “New Glenn” that took off from Cape Canaveral on Thursday can carry twice as much cargo as Musk’s trusty Falcon 9. The dream is not just to launch satellites into space, but to make it a real industry. Among other things, by building their own private space stations out there.
There are more players, including from the aviation industry, who also take a place in orbit. Investments in startup companies in the commercial space industry grew to close to SEK 90 billion last year, and are predicted to grow further this year – with Elon Musk strategically placed on the right side of the incoming US president Donald Trump.
Elon Musk has another ace up his sleeve, if his new, even bigger Starship rocket can get off the ground after some trouble. Musk also took the trouble to congratulate former arch-rival Jeff Bezos, for having managed to get into space on the first try.
The race is on again, for real.