Yet another whimsical preoccupation or actually a key difference maker in the future of humanity. The Billionaire Space Race is the most recent of the uncountable ‘whims and fancies’ of the Earth’s billionaires, especially Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, who spearhead the two of the world’s most influential, powerful and famous companies. What exactly is this race? Some believe that it could have large-scale implications for humans and all life on Earth as climatic conditions worsen over time, or some believe that it is yet another petty war/race between some spoilt billionaires who want to cement their fame and popularity further.
Space tourism gaining traction is yet another positive for the so-called ‘Golden Age of Space Exploration’, where some people bicker over fighting climatic changes here on Earth. With targets set for Mars and beyond, both the owners of Tesla and Amazon, along with their funds and resources, look forward to paving the way for a new horizon. Over time, the glamour and oomph behind this space race have gained momentum as these billionaires take on social media platforms to showcase and confirm their recent achievements.
Back in 2021, NASA granted Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, the contract to develop a lunar lander for Artemis V, but as of today, both his and Jeff’s company, Blue Origin, hold contracts for the same. NASA is believed to have donated $3.4 Billion for the project as they look forward to reducing the load on taxpayers by increased competition for this project. True revelations were made when, in 2010, SpaceX became the first to successfully launch a rocket that cost nearly $62 million, the Falcon 9. With nearly half costing compared to their competitors, this made a point that they could actually work with rockets and that was cheaper and better. Although Bill Gates took up the initial initiative, the current scenario does not involve his presence. Bill Gates joined hands with a Saudi Prince and a telecom entrepreneur to start up a company named Teledisc with the aim of operating massive satellite networks. This, however, didn’t turn in the company’s favour as Teledisc would end up in bankruptcy even before the launch of a satellite! While many believed that the space programs would be taken up by giants such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing, who actually hold years of experience, this did not prove to be the case. Back in 2013, things became ugly when SpaceX and Blue Origin competed for NASA’s Launch Complex 39A, and Musk claimed publicly that the chances of Jeff Bezos building a NASA-qualified rocket were very slim.
While the commoners still question these ‘adventures’, Blue Origin and SpaceX have a clear, forward vision for this space race. In 2016, Branson and Virgin Galactic would unveil their new SpaceShip Two aircraft to enable people visiting orbit for adventure and views and to make space tourism a reality. Many, including Blue Origin, started to use suborbital space tourism, although it was ridiculed as ‘bungee-jumping for the super-rich’. Bezos viewed this as rocket practice and the foundation for Blue Origin’s project. Simply enabling tourism for humans or acting as contractors to NASA space stations wasn’t their entire view. In 2005, Bezos unveiled his plans to the people of Texas, where he first spoke of colonising space. Musk also revealed his plans during a speech at the International Astronautical Congress, where he laid out his plans to set up a cargo line to make colonisation and human settlement possible on Mars! With his vivid yet daring attitude, Elon Musk leads SpaceX to achieve success no matter how hard the path to success may be. Blue Origin, being more methodical under Jeff Bezos’ leadership, slowly yet steadily keeps making progress without making much noise, and only time will tell who will be the victor of this race!
