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IPFS News Link • Space Travel and Exploration

What if the mega-rich just want rocket ships to escape the Earth they destroy?

• The Guardian

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the latest tech billionaire to invest his money in spaceships: on Tuesday, he debuted his space travel company Blue Origin's newest rocket. Now, those who want to cruise the galaxy can choose between the sleek new rocket and the stubbier model Bezos announced in April – or they can opt to ride with Tesla founder Elon Musk on a SpaceX ship, or hop on Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic.

At this rate, would-be space travelers will be able to choose their favorite tech company, find its richest guy and buy a ticket on his craft of choice. Why does everyone who achieves economic dominance over the planet immediately turn around and try to get off it?

The "boys and their toys" explanation is the obvious one – once you've bought all the cars and boats and planes you want, why not buy a rocket? (We don't have a "girls and their toys" ethos yet because the cards are stacked against women getting to this level of obscene wealth, but I suspect a lot of us would want to buy rocketships, too.) Space is inherently cool, and even if it weren't, space is inherently other – which matters a lot to the man who has everything terrestrial. By the same token, someone who already has a watch that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars can buy a watch that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars but comes from space.

Of course, uber-wealthy tech entrepreneurs aren't just buying rockets for their personal amusement. They're founding or investing in space travel – they want to get you off-planet, too. Well, not you-you, but someone like you with much, much, much more money.


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