BLUE ORIGIN (Jeff Bezos) 1ST HUMAN FLIGHT TO SPACE

[jimdavis]

I am absolutely appalled by the negativity of this thread.

It's like a bunch of flat-earthers shaking their heads as they watched Columbus and other explorers heading off to be eaten by sea monsters or to fall off the edge of the world.

Space exploration has to start somewhere with baby steps. It requires massive amounts of money, and even more guts and imagination. I think it's BRILLIANT.

jim

[rainier]

Agree Jim,
The only thing wrong with this thing is that I was not invited...

[GrahamW]

The benefits derived from space exploration is massive. The calculator for one would not exist if not for the space race and many other technologies. These technologies take a lot of money to develop and is to the benefit of the human race.

These entrepreneur's like Musk and Bezos have also shaken up the market by developing much cheaper access to space.

Here is a list of about 30 everyday technologies which were developed for space travel. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/20 ... /39580591/

The other benefit of the exposure in the media is that it encourages young people to adopt a career in engineering or the sciences.

[Induna]

I am absolutely appalled by the negativity of this thread.

It's like a bunch of flat-earthers shaking their heads as they watched Columbus and other explorers heading off to be eaten by sea monsters or to fall off the edge of the world.

Space exploration has to start somewhere with baby steps. It requires massive amounts of money, and even more guts and imagination. I think it's BRILLIANT.

jim

Jim, I 100% agree. I was sitting on the sideline, enjoying my popcorn while reading the negative comments..

To me it looks like most people are just envious... If the guy can afford it, then why not? It is his money after all and if it is only 0.01% of his fortune, surely it does not break the bank account..

I think it's brilliant that normal people (with money of course) are able to see and experience things that only a tiny fraction of the world population will ever experience, even with huge risk. It's everyone's own decision.

[C Africa]

And some moron ants to tax them. If I was the owner, I would simply move my operation to a jurisdiction where they value my presence and give the US tax man a massive middle finger!!!!

This is funny though:

Rocket.jpg

C

[Frontiersman]

<...I don't think it is fair to call them astronauts>

Actually, I just heard on the radio that one of the occupants was, indeed, trained as an astronaut! She trained with NASA some years ago and then never flew into space. Another occupant was a young Dutch chappie (student, I think) and the other was Jeff Bezos' own brother! I guess Mr. Bezos paid all their airfares? I wonder if tickets were issued? (And vomit bags?)

Come on: which person reading this can honestly say they are not jealous in the slightest? Me? I'm green with envy!

The Dutch 18-year old’s billionaire dad paid an undisclosed amount at an auction. The previous bid, which backed out, was $28M.
For a 10 minute ride, that borders on vulgar.

It is vulgar and considering the underlying tones in the world today about the gap between rich and poor, it is understandable why there is a growing resentment... no one disputes a free market but there is something fundamentally wrong when the very users of Amazon for instance might not be able to afford to send their children to school in some instances.... its a systemic problem which is going to get worse and this does highlight it, no matter which side of the fence one sits... problem is where do you draw the line between enjoying ones hard earned cash and being sensitive to the plight of millions who also work hard but dont have any

Did you maybe consider that the money these people paid for this flight, kept probably a few hundred people employed? Earning a salary, providing for their families? That rocket did not build itself. I don't see this as rich people wasting money, I see this as one person that, through buying that ticket, spent more money on employing and helping people than you have probably ever done in your life.

[Lazy duck]

I’ve got to call back the past. Mike Melvill 2004 good old SA test pilot with smarties floating in the cockpit.

[Whirly]

I have no idea why some people feel entitled to make comments how other people spend their money. It is theirs to spend as they like, even if they decide to waste according to other people's opinions, live with it.

I have a problem with that, just as I have a problem with the practice that people with lots of money have to pay more (percentage wise) tax. They pay more anyway because they have more. Most should actually pay nothing if they employ others.

Just my 2c.

Whirly.

[cage]

.Most should actually pay nothing if they employ others.

Tangent alert..
Come on W, you know well how economics works.
The business is the employer, for that they have so many tax breaks its not funny (in the US anyway).
Amazon are one of the biggest tax offenders around, pillaging the client nations and returning nothing.
Bezos as a director (employee) and shareholder has the tax burden of those positions.
Like most yanks in big companies he defers direct income (and related taxes) and is rewarded via stock (little tax).
Yes it is all legal but it is morally wrong.
He can shove his space dildo where the sun don’t shine..

[GL]

I'm with cage - these sub-orbitals are vulgar ways to separate the super -rich from their money. 60 years ago the X-15 achieved more than Blue Origin - so there is no pushing the boundaries here.

[final_approach]

FAA revises Astronaut criteria.

https://spacenews.com/faa-revises-crite ... aut-wings/

With the new FAA definition only the two pilots from Virgin flying VSS Unity will be getting their wings. By far the coolest design out there an actual spaceplane that is manually flown instead of paying millions just imagine getting paid to fly an spaceplane and glide it down to earth.

So much to look forward to in the near future, Spacex's starship prototype is due to do its first orbital flight in the next two months. Blue Origins New Glenn will be flying next year and we will be going back to the moon!

[jimdavis]

I'm with cage - these sub-orbitals are vulgar ways to separate the super -rich from their money. 60 years ago the X-15 achieved more than Blue Origin - so there is no pushing the boundaries here.

Would you say the same about Concord?

jim

[GL]

I'm with cage - these sub-orbitals are vulgar ways to separate the super -rich from their money. 60 years ago the X-15 achieved more than Blue Origin - so there is no pushing the boundaries here.

Would you say the same about Concord?

jim

Not at all - the Concorde was a huge technology step change and that that time the paradigm was to move pax faster - rather than more cheaply. Its was just the cost of that speed, especially after Shake Yermoney and the oil crisis killed it.

[GrahamW]

Just as a matter of interest all the proceeds paid for the trip were donated to various non-profit organizations as well as $200m to the Smithsonian institute by Bezos.

[C Africa]

I must say I am also with Whirly on this. These Billionaires are already doing more to alleviate poverty than anybody else. Even if they structure their personal income to reduce tax, they pay enormous amounts of tax, simply because they employ so many people.

You can't uplift some-one out of poverty by giving them money, you can only do so by getting them gainfully employed.

Th more governments entice investment, by giving big business tax incentives, the more people will get employed, the stronger the economy will be, the fewer people will be unemployed.

Have a look at the statistics for SA on how much tax the biggest companies in the country pay. If memory serves me, it is something like 167 businesses that pay over 80% of the company tax. This doesn't give the full picture, because these same companies probably also generate the bulk of the employees tax and VAT, so at the end of the day, they are the ones who keep the government going.


C