<h2>&#8220;Giant Space Colonies&#8221;</h2>
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos thinks that in the future humanity will live in &#8220;giant space colonies,&#8221; rather than settling on the surface of planets, according to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-wings-club-presentation-transcript-2019-2">an interview</a> with Space News senior staff writer Jeff Foust last week.
The concept is pretty simple, according to Bezos: travel to other planets requires a lot of fuel and energy.
&#8220;The space colonies we&#8217;ll build will have many advantages,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The primary one is that they&#8217;ll be close to Earth.&#8221;
<h2>One Step at a Time</h2>
But what happens to our beloved planet once most of us have moved to these space colonies? Bezos thinks heavy industry — think mining and resource extraction — will move elsewhere in the Solar System.
&#8220;Ultimately what will happen, is this planet will be zoned residential and light industry,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This is the gem of the Solar System. Why would we do heavy industry here? It&#8217;s nonsense.&#8221;
Bezos also referenced the work of physicist Gerard O&#8217;Neill, who came up with the idea of a cylinder-shaped space settlement design known as an &#8220;O&#8217;Neill cylinder, &#8221; in which two counter-rotating cylinders would provide gravity for human settlers while mitigating gyroscopic effects.
Similar space colonies have been depicted in popular sci-fi movies including &#8220;2001: A Space Odyssey&#8221; (1968).
<h2>To the Moon and Beyond</h2>
Bezos and his team at Blue Origin are hard at work providing humanity with a transportation option to get into space. And they have some ambitious plans: to land a robotic space cargo carrier on the Moon <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2018/blue-origin-targets-moon-landing-2023-early-step-toward-lunar-settlement/">by 2023</a>.
But it&#8217;s not a race. After all, Earth is a pretty great place.
&#8220;Very few people are going to want to leave this planet permanently — it&#8217;s just too amazing,&#8221; Bezos said.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-wings-club-presentation-transcript-2019-2">Jeff Bezos just gave a private talk in New York. From utopian space colonies to dissing Elon Musk&#8217;s Martian dream, here are the most notable things he said.</a> [Business Insider] 

More on Blue Origin: <a href="https://futurism.com/jeff-bezos-new-shepard-launch-this-year/">Jeff Bezos: New Shepard Will Launch First People Into Space &#8220;This Year&#8221;</a>

"[The Earth] is the gem of the solar system. Why would we do heavy industry here? It's nonsense."

Jeff Bezos: In the future, we'll live in "giant space colonies"

Giant Space Colonies

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos thinks humanity will "live in giant O'Neal-style space colonies" rather than settling on planets, according to a recent interview .

Jeff Bezos: In the Future, We’ll Live In “Giant Space Colonies”

"Very few people are going to want to leave this planet permanently — it's just too amazing."

<h2>Race to Space</h2>
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wants to send its first passengers to space as soon as this year. Bezos spoke during a private event at the Yale Club in New York City, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-wings-club-presentation-transcript-2019-2">Business Insider reports</a>.
&#8220;This year. This is the first time I&#8217;ve ever been saying, &#8220;this year.&#8221; For a few years, I&#8217;ve been saying, &#8220;next year,&#8221; Bezos told Jeff Foust, senior staff writer at Space News, during the event.
The billionaire&#8217;s private space tourism company Blue Origins has been making some big strides towards that goal in recent years. Its flagship suborbital vehicle New Shepard reached the so-called Kármán line (62 miles or 100 km), widely agreed to be the edge of outer space, for the first time during a test flight in 2015.
That&#8217;s a fair bit higher than Virgin Galactic&#8217;s recent efforts to reach space with its SpaceShipTwo space plane, which <a href="https://futurism.com/virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-vss-unity-fifth-test-flight">reached a new maximum altitude</a> of 55.85 miles (89.9 km) yesterday.
<h2>Fighting Words</h2>
&#8220;One of the issues that Virgin Galactic will have to address, eventually, is that they are not flying above the Kármán Line, not yet,&#8221; Bezos <a href="https://spacenews.com/bezos-emphasizes-altitude-advantage-of-new-shepard-over-spaceshiptwo/">told Space News</a> during a Wednesday luncheon in New York. &#8220;I think one of the things they will have to figure out how to get above the Karman Line.&#8221;
Blue Origin&#8217;s much bigger New Glenn rocket is a far more capable rocket that is supposed to reach low Earth orbit (hundreds to thousands of kilometers above the Kármán line). The company is aiming for a <a href="https://www.space.com/43065-blue-origin-new-glenn-rocket-design-video.html">2021 test flight</a> from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
But Blue Origin wants to eventually go beyond Earth orbit as well. Their goal is to complete a lunar landing mission <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/moon-colonization-blue-origin-2023">before 2023</a>.
READ MORE: <a href="https://spacenews.com/bezos-emphasizes-altitude-advantage-of-new-shepard-over-spaceshiptwo/">Bezos emphasizes altitude advantage of New Shepard over SpaceShipTwo</a> [Space News] 

More on Blue Origin: <a href="https://futurism.com/animation-blue-origin-redesigned-new-glenn-rocket">New Animation Shows Off Blue Origin’s Redesigned Heavy Load Rocket</a>

New Shepard reached the Kármán line (62 miles or 100 km) during a test flight in 2015.

Jeff Bezos: New Shepard will launch first people into space "this year"

Blue Origin

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wants to send its first passengers to space as soon as this year aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket.

Jeff Bezos: New Shepard Will Launch First People Into Space “This Year”

"it's not a race."

<h2>Space Roasters</h2>
Centuries of technological advancements have perfected the process of roasting and brewing coffee. A global network of trade routes allows people around the world to enjoy delicious, piping hot coffee made from beans grown thousands of miles away.
That&#8217;s why a startup called <a href="https://roasters.space/about-us/">Space Roasters</a> is so preposterous: it wants to roast coffee in space.
&#8220;We believe it is time to revolutionize coffee roasting using space technology,&#8221; said founder Hatem Alhafaji and Anders Cavallini in an <a href="https://roasters.space/2017/05/29/space-roasters-featured-in-room-magazine/">interview with Room magazine</a>.
Or maybe it&#8217;s an over-engineered solution to a problem that doesn&#8217;t exist.
<h2>A Questionable Idea</h2>
Space Roasters&#8217; plan is to use the heat created during reentry from space through Earth&#8217;s atmosphere to roast coffee beans. The startup even developed a specially designed capsule that carries beans before plummeting back to Earth using a parachute.
The price: Ars Technica&#8217;s <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/01/how-much-would-you-pay-for-coffee-roasted-in-space/">back-of-the-envelope calculations</a> estimated that a cup will cost around $500 — that is, if they find a company with a launch vehicle that&#8217;s willing to launch its equipment into space. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/jan/26/coffee-beans-perfect-roast-outer-space--rocket-science">According to The Guardian</a>, it&#8217;s already in discussions with Rocket Lab and Blue Origin.
Not only is the resulting product absurdly expensive, but it could also end up taking up valuable cargo space on future space missions that could be filled by literally any other more meaningful scientific initiative.
<h2>Bringing People Together</h2>
Space Roasters&#8217; site inspires little confidence. It <a href="https://roasters.space/about-us/">claims its team</a> includes &#8220;more than 27 enthusiast space expert [sic] in their field,&#8221; and claims to be &#8220;bringing people together&#8221; by combining &#8220;space and science.&#8221;
Not only is that weirdly vague, but it never justifies its existence. Does it improve the roasting process? Does it bring better coffee to more people? More likely: it&#8217;s just a fun thought experiment for bored engineers.
Naturally, Space Roasters has already announced a pre-sale campaign to sell their yet-to-materialize product. Our takeaway: the only thing Space Roasters has demonstrated is that even the most ludicrous startup concept can rack up mainstream media attention.
READ MORE: <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/01/how-much-would-you-pay-for-coffee-roasted-in-space/">This company wants to use reentry heating to roast coffee beans</a> [Ars Technica]
More on snake oil: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/cryonics-dads-head">A Man Is Suing A Cryonics Company For Cutting Off His Dad&#8217;s Head</a>

The project never justifies its own existence.

This ridiculous startup wants to roast coffee in space

Space Roasted

A new startup that amassed a team of 27 talented engineers and designers wants to roast capsules of coffee as they reenter Earth's atmosphere. But why?

This Ridiculous Startup Wants to Roast Coffee in Space

A preposterous solution to a nonexistent problem.

<h2>Heavy Load</h2>
In a new animation, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos&#8217; space agency Blue Origin showed off a new design for its heavy load &#8220;New Glenn&#8221; rocket. The animation shows the two stage rocket take off from a launch pad before separating a bullet-shaped payload fairing in space as the booster re-enters the atmosphere and lands on a ship.
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/532ay25-kmU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Yes, that last part is similar to how SpaceX reuses its Falcon 9 boosters, down to the way legs (the Falcon 9 has four while the New Glenn will have six) splay out of the bottom of the booster to stabilize it during touchdown. While it&#8217;s not exactly a new idea — even for Blue Origin — a previous New Glenn <a href="https://youtu.be/BTEhohh6eYk">animation from 2017</a> showed a slightly different leg design that folded out of the sides of the booster, rather than swinging out.
<h2>Glengarry Glen Ross</h2>
In terms of specs, Blue Origin is promising that the New Glenn will be capable of delivering about 50 metric tons to low Earth orbit, while SpaceX&#8217;s Heavy Falcon will eventually be capable of delivering just over 70 tons. The New Glenn will stand 83 feet taller than the Heavy Falcon at a massive 313 feet (95 m) tall.
Blue Origin&#8217;s smaller suborbital rocket, the &#8220;New Shepard,&#8221; has also made progress over the last few years. Its <a href="https://www.space.com/43061-blue-origin-new-shepard-flight-ns10-launch-date.html">next test flight</a> is slated for Jan. 23.  Rather than sending a massive payload into orbit, New Shepard&#8217;s capsule will carry scientists and their equipment for experiments into suborbital space.
<h2>Catching Up</h2>
We have yet to hear from Blue Origin about an exact launch date of its New Glenn orbital rocket, let alone crewed test flights. The company has said it&#8217;s aiming for a <a href="https://www.autoevolution.com/news/blue-origin-to-launch-new-glenn-in-2021-as-most-capable-rocket-available-131687.html">2021 test flight</a> from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Blue Origin has some catching up to do. SpaceX&#8217;s Heavy Falcon completed its first test flight <a href="https://futurism.com/falcon-heavy-launch-whats-next-spacex">last February</a>, becoming the most powerful rocket in operation.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.space.com/43065-blue-origin-new-glenn-rocket-design-video.html?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social">Blue Origin Video Shows Off Updated Design of Huge New Glenn Rocket</a> [Space.com] 

More on Blue Origin: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/new-shepard-rocket-blue-origin">Blue Origin’s New Shepard Rocket Aces Important Test</a>

Blue Origin is planning to test launch the rocket in 2021.

New animation shows off Blue Origin's redesigned heavy load rocket

New New Glenn

Blue Origin showed off a new animation of its New Gleen orbital rocket system, including a booster landing that's reminiscent of SpaceX's Falcon 9.

New Animation Shows Off Blue Origin’s Redesigned Heavy Load Rocket

Who's winning the space race — SpaceX or Blue Origin?

<h2>Space Rules!</h2>
Before humans settle or even <a href="https://futurism.com/three-reasons-moon-mission-nasa">set foot on Mars</a>, engineers and scientists have to solve all sorts of problems, like protecting space travelers from dangerous radiation. This will be immensely difficult, but it shouldn&#8217;t overshadow other types of challenges — like the legal and political questions — raised by extraterrestrial colonization.
In an <a href="https://aeon.co/essays/we-urgently-need-a-legal-framework-for-space-colonisation">essay published Tuesday in Aeon</a>, Marko Kovic, a consultant and president of a think tank named The Zurich Institute for Policy Analysis and Research, broke down what he sees as the four most important unanswered questions for the political structures of off-world settlements.
<h2>Break it Down</h2>
First off, Kovic poses the question of who&#8217;s actually permitted to colonize space. Should individual nations establish their own settlements, or should that right be reserved for international coalitions? What about powerful corporations?
Secondly, there&#8217;s the matter of developing laws that are relevant to life on Mars or wherever else. Right now, astronauts are subject to the laws of their home countries, but Kovic argues that it doesn&#8217;t make sense to wait the many weeks or months it would take for Earthly legal systems to investigate the first space murderer. Rather, the settlement would need its own legal structure that&#8217;s not dependent on Earth.
Kovic&#8217;s third question may never have a clear answer — he pondered how various nations like the U.S. China might respond differently to rebellious colonies. When should these settlements become independent, if they should at all?
Fourth, Kovic argued that, independent or not, policymakers should figure out exactly how various settlements on the Moon, Mars, or anywhere else will all interact among each other and with Earth society. Will they all fall under one governing coalition, or will they be separate entities?
<h2>Analog Culture</h2>
The challenge to each of these comes from the fact that Earthly analogs don&#8217;t always hold up — future space societies may find themselves in need of entirely novel governmental structures. On Earth, colonization by and eventual succession from governing nations has often been a bloody mess, so it&#8217;s not like we have useful historical examples to guide us.
When you factor in the fact that various terrestrial governments with conflicting philosophies and structures (think representative democracies versus dictatorships) will all have interests in space settlements, a crowd-pleasing solution becomes even harder to find.
<h2>So Now What?</h2>
Beyond the <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-642-27833-4_1132-2">1967 Outer Space Treaty</a> that declares space ought to be explored, not exploited or used for military purposes, there are very few rules that govern space. And even that treaty no longer does as good a job as it used to — Kovic said in his essay that it would prohibit Russia, China, or America from colonizing the Moon or Mars, but not a <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/moon-colonization-blue-origin-2023">private entity like SpaceX or Blue Origin</a>.
Before we hand the keys to the galaxy over to Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos, perhaps we should take a moment to come up with some updated ground rules.
Editor&#8217;s Note: This post previously misidentified the think tank of which Kovic is president as &#8220;The Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research.&#8221; It has been updated.
READ MORE: <a href="https://aeon.co/essays/we-urgently-need-a-legal-framework-for-space-colonisation">Rules in space</a> [Aeon]
More on space settlements: <a href="https://futurism.com/bill-nye-mars-terraforming-high">Bill Nye on Terraforming Mars: “Are You Guys High?”</a>

Do we want a Galactic Senate or an Empire?

Four legal challenges to resolve before settling on Mars

I am the Senate

In a new essay, think tank president and consultant Marko Kovic breaks down four unresolved legal and political challenges for off-world civilizations.

Four Legal Challenges to Resolve Before Settling on Mars

No, Elon Musk's suggested direct democracy won't solve them.

TAAAXI. It&#8217;s history in the making. Today, NASA <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-to-name-astronauts-assigned-to-first-boeing-spacex-flights">announced the first commercial astronauts</a> who will be piloting the first crewed test-flights aboard SpaceX and Boeing spacecraft. Two teams of astronauts will be boarding a Boeing Starliner spacecraft launched on top of an Atlas V rocket and a Dragon capsule atop SpaceX&#8217;s Falcon 9, respectively.
The <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/">crews</a> are made up of nine (all American) high-ranking engineers, NASA astronauts, Marines, and Air Force pilots. Among them is Doug Hurley, a Marine Corps test pilot who piloted the iconic Space Shuttle <a href="https://www.space.com/12096-nasa-final-space-shuttle-launch-date-atlantis-sts135.html">one last time back in July 2011</a>.
In fact, if all goes according to plan, these missions would be the first time American astronauts are launching from U.S. soil since the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011.
ABORT, ABORT. It&#8217;s a momentous occasion that is setting the groundwork for the future of commercial space travel. But there&#8217;s an elephant in the room that is somewhat souring the occasion. Just a day earlier, Boeing announced it had to <a href="https://www.space.com/41355-boeing-delays-first-starliner-test-flight.html">delay the first uncrewed test flight</a> after an <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/07/boeing-may-have-suffered-a-setback-with-starliners-pad-abort-test/">abort engine issue</a> forced a test to be cut short back in June – although it&#8217;s still unclear if it was the main cause for the delays. As a result, the first crewed test had to be pushed back to the summer of 2019 as well.
The Commercial Space Race is really starting to heat up. Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos is aggressively increasing the funding of his spaceflight company, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-blueorigin/bezos-throws-cash-engineers-at-rocket-program-as-space-race-accelerates-idUSKBN1KO0HN">According to Reuters</a>. Blue Origin&#8217;s primary objective right now: get a new heavy-launch vehicle called <a href="https://www.blueorigin.com/new-glenn">New Glenn</a> into space within the next two years.
SPACE TRAVELING IN STYLE. Despite these delays, astronauts have a far more comfy ride to the International Space Station to look forward to – way more comfy than the cramped Soyuz spacecraft still in service today, despite the fact that its designs date back to the 1960s.
Boeing received $4.2 billion for its Commercial Crew Transportation Capability program in 2014, while SpaceX got $2.6 billion at the same time. The goal: to develop the first generation of commercial (manned) spacecraft, finally bringing space travel into the 21st century.
Both Boeing&#8217;s Starliner and SpaceX&#8217;s Dragon can fit up to seven astronauts (depending on cargo) — the Soyuz spacecraft still in use today can only carry three. The Starliner is even equipped with wireless internet for some (much-needed) in-flight entertainment. It can even stay docked to the ISS for 210 days, giving it the potential to serve as astronaut quarters.
<figure id="attachment_135285" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="wp-image-135285 size-large" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/08/290150-02_CST-100_Starliner_100yrs_-e1533314515685-1200x526.jpg" alt="Nasa commercial crew craft" width="1200" height="526" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image Credit: Boeing</figcaption></figure>
ALL IN GOOD TIME. It&#8217;s still not entirely clear when SpaceX&#8217;s Dragon spacecraft will go on its first manned test flight. In fact, SpaceX&#8217;s <a href="https://www.spacex.com/dragon">official website</a> still predicts the first manned test flight to take place &#8220;as early as 2018.&#8221; But when the time comes, astronauts will be able to enjoy <a href="https://www.spacex.com/crew-dragon">environmental control</a> and chose comfy onboard temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 and 26.6 Celsius).
<figure id="attachment_135286" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="wp-image-135286 size-large" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/08/interior_1-1200x800.jpg" alt="Interior of Nasa commercial crew craft" width="1200" height="800" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image Credit: SpaceX</figcaption></figure>
Even in the worst case scenario, the Dragon&#8217;s emergency escape system will gently push astronauts out to safety &#8220;experiencing about the same G-forces as a ride at Disneyland&#8221; according to SpaceX&#8217;s official website.
The future of commercial space travel is looking bright, but not all systems are go. engineers have their work cut out to ensure the safety of the first nine brave astronauts. But the clock is ticking.

NASA announces the first commercial astronauts to pilot the next generation of spacecraft

Off World

Barring more delays, the first American astronauts will be launching from U.S. soil since the retirement of the Space Shuttle.

NASA Announces The First Commercial Astronauts to Pilot The Next Generation of Spacecraft

The commercial space race is on, but delays are inevitable.

NAILED IT. Wednesday morning, Blue Origin launched a <a href="https://futurism.com/blue-origin-just-released-images-of-its-sleek-space-tourism-capsule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">capsule</a>-carrying New Shepard rocket from its facility in West Texas. The goal: to test the <a href="https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1019190558936436737" target="_blank" rel="noopener">escape motor</a>, the motor that would engage if astronauts needed to make a fast getaway due to some unforeseen circumstances at any point during a flight. Its effectiveness is essential to ensuring the safety of any people who might ride aboard the capsule in the future, and this was Blue Origin&#8217;s third test of the system.
And the company appeared to nail the test.
After launch, the capsule separated from the rocket just like it should, and then its emergency motor ignited — just as it&#8217;s supposed to during an emergency situation. This <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/18/17583174/blue-origin-new-shepard-rocket-launch-crew-escape-motor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">propelled the capsule</a> to an altitude of roughly 119 kilometers (74 miles), a record height for the company. After that, both the capsule and the rocket safely returned to Earth.
TESTING. TESTING. Blue Origin wasn&#8217;t the only company testing the waters with this New Shepard rocket launch; the rocket&#8217;s capsule contained a variety of <a href="https://www.blueorigin.com/news/news/payload-manifest-on-mission-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">devices and experiments</a> for scientists and educators conducting microgravity research. One company sent up a system designed to provide reliable WiFi connectivity in space, while another added a number of textiles to the capsule so they could test their viability for use in space suits.
SPACE TOURISM. However, the most interesting payload aboard the capsule (for the general public, anyways) was likely <a href="https://futurism.com/blue-origin-returns-launch-shepard-first-time-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mannequin Skywalker</a>, the test dummy that first rode a New Shepard back in December. In addition to bearing a number of instruments that collect valuable data for Blue Origin, the dummy also serves as a reminder of Blue Origin&#8217;s ultimate goal — to send people into space — and with today&#8217;s successful test, the company moves one step closer to reaching that goal.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/18/17583174/blue-origin-new-shepard-rocket-launch-crew-escape-motor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Origin Will Push Its Rocket ‘to Its Limits’ With High-Altitude Emergency Abort Test Today</a> [The Verge]
More on the New Shepard&#8217;s capsule: <a href="https://futurism.com/blue-origin-just-released-images-of-its-sleek-space-tourism-capsule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Origin Just Released Images of Its Sleek Space Tourism Capsule</a>
Editor’s note 7/20/18 at 11:15 AM: This piece originally mischaracterized the purpose of the test and the role of Mannequin Skywalker. It has been updated accordingly. We regret the error.

The company is one step closer to sending humans to space.

Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket aces important test

On Wednesday, Blue Origin launched another New Shepard rocket, successfully engaging its capsule's emergency motor after separation.

Blue Origin’s New Shepard Rocket Aces Important Test

Both the rocket and its capsule nailed the landing.

LUNAR UPDATE. A.C. Charania, business development director for Blue Origin, says the private aerospace company plans to complete a lunar landing mission before 2023, which would eventually “enable human lunar return.” That is: send humans back to the Moon.
That&#8217;s an earlier, and more specific, timeframe than anyone at the company had specified up to this point — last year, the Washington Post reported that its <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2017/11/15/nasas-road-back-to-the-moon-may-be-via-bezos-blue-origin/#5318b35f6cbb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Moon</a> project — which includes plans to colonize the Moon, as well as an Amazon-like Moon delivery service — was slated for the mid-2020s.
This news about Blue Origin&#8217;s came during the Space Frontier Foundation’s <a href="https://newspace.spacefrontier.org/2018/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NewSpace conference</a> in Renton, Washington, in late June, according to <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2018/blue-origin-targets-moon-landing-2023-early-step-toward-lunar-settlement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a GeekWire report</a>.
A LITTLE HELP FROM NASA. Blue Origin first revealed its ambitions for a Moon colony in March 2017. “It is time for America to return to the Moon — this time to stay,” Bezos <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/03/02/an-exclusive-look-at-jeff-bezos-plan-to-set-up-amazon-like-delivery-for-future-human-settlement-of-the-moon/?utm_term=.7a2725f44a8e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Washington Post</a>. “A permanently inhabited lunar settlement is a difficult and worthy objective. I sense a lot of people are excited about this.”
At the time, Blue Origin was looking to NASA and the U.S. government for assistance in the endeavor. Since then, it&#8217;s become one of 10 companies chosen to <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2018/blue-origin-gets-nasa-studies-resource-utilization-moon-mars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">share $10 million</a> in NASA funding for lunar research. That has apparently helped the company to move up the timeframe for when Blue Moon might be accomplished.
“Blue Moon is on our roadmap, and because of our scale, because of what we see from the government, we brought it a little bit forward in time,” Charania said during the NewSpace conference. “I think we are very excited to now implement this long-term commercial solution with NASA partnership.”
A CROWDED SPACE. Blue Origin isn&#8217;t the only aerospace company <a href="https://futurism.com/spacex-boeing-jockey-land-mars-other-companies-eye-lunar-exploration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eying a return to the Moon</a>. <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/28/16382716/spacex-elon-musk-moon-base-alpha-mars-colonization-interplanetary-transport-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX</a> has floated plans for future Moon colonization, while <a href="https://www.space.com/40534-moon-missions-lead-to-mars-bridenstine.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA</a>, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/07/china-prepares-moon-landing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China Manned Space Agency</a>, and Russia&#8217;s space agency <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2017/03/15/roscosmos-first-manned-moon-landing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roscosmos</a> all have manned lunar missions in the works.
With so many organizations in on the effort, it seems like it&#8217;s only a matter of time before humans take that one small step once again.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2018/blue-origin-targets-moon-landing-2023-early-step-toward-lunar-settlement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Origin Targets Moon Landing by 2023 as an Early Step Toward Lunar Settlement</a> [GeekWire]

A partnership with NASA has helped move up the timeframe for project Blue Moon.

Blue Origin plans to begin colonizing the Moon no later than 2023

According to one company exec, Blue Origin plans to land on the Moon by 2023, the first step toward the ultimate goal of Moon colonization.

The Digest: Blue Origin Plans to Begin Colonizing the Moon No Later Than 2023

“It is time for America to return to the Moon — this time to stay."

PACK YOUR BAGS. An executive for Blue Origin says the aerospace company will begin selling tickets for <a href="https://futurism.com/blue-origin-just-released-images-of-its-sleek-space-tourism-capsule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suborbital space flights</a> in 2019, according to a <a href="http://spacenews.com/blue-origin-plans-to-start-selling-suborbital-spaceflight-tickets-next-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report by Space News</a>. Senior Vice President Rob Meyerson delivered the news during a keynote speech at Amazon Web Services Public Sector Summit in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. The flights will be aboard <a href="https://www.blueorigin.com/new-shepard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Shepard</a>, a rocket Blue Origin first started testing in 2015. Those tests will soon include passengers, according to Meyerson.
START SAVING&#8230; PROBABLY? So, that&#8217;s what we know. What we don&#8217;t know? Pretty much anything else. Meyerson didn&#8217;t drop any hints as to what New Shepard tickets will get passengers (An hour in space? A day?). He also didn&#8217;t say what they&#8217;d pay for the privilege, but that might be because he simply doesn&#8217;t know — back in May, Blue Origin (and Amazon) CEO Jeff Bezos <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2018/jeff-bezos-isdc-space-vision/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told GeekWire</a> the company was still trying to figure out what to charge for New Shepard tickets.
AHEAD OF THE CROWD. Blue Origin isn&#8217;t alone in attempting to break into the space tourism market — SpaceX, Orion Span, and Axiom Space are just a few of the <a href="https://www.popsci.com/how-to-become-a-space-tourist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">other companies</a> vying for a piece of the space tourism pie. It also isn&#8217;t the first company to announce the sale of tickets — Virgin Galactic began <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/02/news/la-trb-virgin-galactic-ticket-sales-20130429" target="_blank" rel="noopener">selling tickets</a> back in 2013 at $200,000 a pop (later raised to $250,000); as of May 2017, <a href="http://spacenews.com/all-booked-virgin-galactic-says-suborbital-spaceflights-are-full-until-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">650 people</a> had put down deposits. Five years later, though, and those flights haven&#8217;t yet happened.
As we&#8217;ve seen from Virgin Galactic, selling tickets isn&#8217;t necessarily an indication that a company is just about ready for take off. Still, if Blue Origin is ready to test New Shepard with passengers aboard, it must be feeling pretty confident about the craft — which means the company might just be the first to launch us into the era of commercial space travel.
Read More: <a href="http://spacenews.com/blue-origin-plans-to-start-selling-suborbital-spaceflight-tickets-next-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Origin Plans to Start Selling Suborbital Spaceflight Tickets Next Year</a> [Space News]

You'll probably want to start saving now.

The Digest: Blue Origin’s spaceflight tickets will go on sale in 2019

According to a company executive, Blue Origin will begin selling New Shepard tickets for suborbital space flights starting in 2019.

The Digest: Blue Origin’s Spaceflight Tickets Will Go on Sale in 2019

But who knows what they’ll cost.

On Sunday, April 29, space travel company Blue Origin <a href="https://qz.com/1265087/watch-jeff-bezos-space-company-blue-origin-launch-its-space-tourism-rocket-new-shepard/">launched a test of the New Shepard reusable rocket</a> and the space capsule that the company hopes will <a href="https://futurism.com/bezos-company-blue-origin-might-flying-people-space-2018/">one day transport tourists to the edge of space</a>.
It was the eighth such test of this rocket design, and the second for this particular rocket. Yet unlike the PR-heavy, live-streamed fanfare of SpaceX launches, this is also only <a href="https://qz.com/799209/watch-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-test-the-last-ditch-escape-system-on-its-tourist-spacecraft/">the second time</a> Blue Origin has made one of their tests available to the public in real time.
Why so secretive, Blue Origin?
No one at Blue Origin — no officials, nor its founder Jeff Bezos — has addressed why Blue Origin&#8217;s development process is so darn quiet. Based on the interviews they have given, however, it seems that Bezos and Blue Origin are more focused on developing their product than joining the hype of this second &#8220;space race.&#8221;
&#8220;Space is a big place. It&#8217;s not a zero-sum market,&#8221; Caitlin O&#8217;Keefe Dietrich, Blue Origin&#8217;s Head of Public Relations, <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2018/02/28/blue-origin-spacex-space-race/">told Engadget </a>when asked whether the company felt any pressure to speed up testing based on the achievements of competitors like SpaceX and Virgin Galactic. &#8220;Our philosophy is to use an incremental, step-by-step approach for our long-term space technology development programs. And this approach has yielded us a lot of progress thus far,&#8221; Dietrich added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500">
Highlights from today’s mission. Don’t miss the Nerf ball doing a few backflips in zero gravity. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GradatimFerociter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GradatimFerociter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/blueorigin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BlueOrigin</a> <a href="https://t.co/YxlJRt0MXc">pic.twitter.com/YxlJRt0MXc</a>
&mdash; Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffBezos/status/990755397542723584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rough translation: Blue Origin doesn&#8217;t give a damn about SpaceX&#8217;s media circus. It&#8217;s not trying to outdo competitors with each subsequent project — the company is working on just two rockets (New Shepard and New Glenn) with <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2017/12/20/blue-origin-manned-flight-2018/">hopes to launch a manned flight</a> before the end of 2018. Blue Origin is worrying about Blue Origin. That&#8217;s it.
It&#8217;s a bit too early to tell whether Blue Origin&#8217;s strategy is any better than SpaceX&#8217;s, or vice versa. Competition is a powerful force for innovation. But with the commercial space industry quickly growing (and SpaceX <a href="https://futurism.com/spacex-monopoly-competition/">threatening to monopolize it</a>), it&#8217;s easy enough to keep innovating in an effort to one-up the competition, losing sight of the main goal in the process.
One way to judge who wins? Whoever sends humans farther than they&#8217;ve ever gone. In that sense, the companies are striving for the same goal in the long term, and those that keep their eyes on the prize might fare best. In her interview with Engadget, Blue Origin&#8217;s Dietrich said that the company&#8217;s vision of millions of people living and working in space meant that they &#8220;are applauding all launch operators that are building new and more capable systems.&#8221;
Still, in the short term, the companies are still hungry to grow. Blue Origin is currently <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/04/13/blue-origins-orbital-rocket-in-the-running-to-receive-u-s-military-investment/">competing for a contract</a> to develop a new orbital-class rocket for the U.S. Air Force. It&#8217;s also unlikely that Blue Origin will keep their process this quiet forever. After all, if the company wants people to purchase a ride on their forthcoming low-orbit flights, it&#8217;s going to have to get them excited to fork over the cash.

Blue Origin is testing reusable rockets. Here's why you rarely see them.

Blue Origin launched its eighth test of the New Shepard rocket on April 29. It was only the second-ever test made public in real time.

/Blue Origin

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