CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: Jeff Bezos said he does not think SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will use his close ties with US President-elect Donald Trump to undercut his space company Blue Origin, adding he feels “very optimistic” about the incoming administration’s space agenda.
“Elon has been very clear that he’s doing this for the public interest and not for his personal gain. And I take him at face value,” Bezos, founder of Blue Origin which rivals SpaceX in the space industry, told Reuters in an interview on Sunday (Jan 12).
Bezos spoke with Reuters in Cape Canaveral, Florida where he will watch the debut launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn, a 30 storey tall rocket that is expected to chip away at SpaceX’s market dominance and kick start Blue Origin’s long-delayed entrance in the satellite launch business.
Musk, who spent more than a quarter billion dollars to help elect Trump, has had the president-elect’s ear on space matters.
Last month he said the US should send missions straight to Mars instead of going to the moon first, fueling industry concerns of a major shakeup to NASA’s space exploration program.
