BILLIONAIRES IN SPACE

A summer of vainglory and misplaced ambitions

MOST OF US SAW the space race between Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos in July

(et tu, Elon Musk?) ‒ supposedly the biggest spectacles of summer 2021.

While I missed real time reporting on the Branson bid, I caught the Bezos one, and have to say it felt like being on the peripheral of the big ride at the summer carnival. “Step right up, folks. This will be the ride of your life. And you can tell your friends all about it. We provide footage of the whole thing so they’ll have to believe you’ve been there, done that and got the fridge magnet.”

That’s right. Suborbital tourism is the next big thing you need boasting rights to. Buy the ticket for an as yet undisclosed sum for a ride to the edge of space. Get to see the earth from out there (aside: Flat Earthers might finally see the planet is round). Experience a few minutes of weightlessness. How cool is that? But while Branson and Bezos try to call it a big step for humanity, aren’t they really stroking their own egos with their publicity stunts for Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin.

Consider these details. The anniversary of the human race’s Moon landing is the date Bezos chose to launch his New Shepard rocket, borrowing from the importance of the landmark event. Bezos contrived demographic representation and superlatives in his first passengers. Apart from he and his brother, he had the oldest person and woman in space in Wally Funk, 82; and the youngest in Oliver Daemen, 18. And Daemen got to go after the person who won the bid for the ride at USD 28 million backed out due to a scheduling conflict. Really? Bezos also oneupped Branson by going past the Karman Line to 106 kilometres above sea level. Branson went as far as 85 kilometres.

These events beg many questions, first of which is why have they chosen to explore suborbital tourism when there are many more pressing matters that could benefit from their vast resources. Bill Gates is funding research to develop a malaria vaccine and pays his employees living wages, for example.

Consider also the environmental impact suborbital tourism would have on an already distressed planet. How much fuel does it take to achieve the 100,000 pound thrust needed to launch one rocket joyride, and what is the carbon consequence? Perhaps the super-rich have given up the idea that this earth is saveable, and this is them reaching for greener pastures in the universe. Perhaps.