The Curious Space Race of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin

As has been the case with many new, complex, and capital-intensive technologies—from fossil fuels to nuclear power to the Internet—government investment has been critical to initial development. Nevertheless, private sector involvement in space travel seems inevitable, despite private companies face fewer political and economic obstacles than most government-run programs. Now a growing number of companies are getting involved in a new sort of space race. Virgin Galactic, Orbital Sciences, SpaceX, and recently included Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin being in the space voyage have already started contributing to space science and discoveries.

The “Space Race” in the 1960s was not just a technological competition. For the United States and the former Soviet Union, it was also a political battle for bragging rights, for military advantage, and for a strategic edge in the Cold War. During World War II, advances in rocketry had created devices capable of carrying a substantial payload hundreds of miles. Long-range German V2 rockets were launched by the thousands during wartime, and the technology later helped guide the development of larger and more accurate devices.

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union announced it had successfully put its Sputnik device into orbit around Earth—the first of what would be a series of tit-for-tat technology firsts claimed by the U.S.S.R. or the United States. The Soviets also put the first lunar probe on the moon, 1959’s Luna 2, and claimed the first manned spacecraft to orbit the Earth with cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s in 1961.

The tragic incident of Virgin Galactic could prove pivotal to the commercialization of space. Branson had said for years that Virgin Galactic was on the verge of shuttling ticketed passengers to a weightless ride 62 miles above the Earth, to the very edge of outer space. Although the company has faced setbacks, Branson insisted after the crash the project would proceed—just as all major exploration has proceeded through the history, in spite of the risks. Branson has even pledged to be on board for the ship’s maiden voyage.

Some of the celebrity ticket holders for Virgin Galactic’s private space flight (Virginauts) include Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, and Lady Gaga.

Blue Origin is planning to send paying customers to space in the very near future. Jeff Bezos’s vision is to help bring a future where millions are living and working in space. Although Bezos rarely talks publicly about Blue Origin, he said “It’s the most important work I’m doing.” That’s the reason behind the wide range in award totals as each team’s bid and approach to NASA’s goal is different.