Jeff Bezos wants to send you into orbit, with the West Texas town of Van Horn as the launching point.
Bezos flew into this West Texas town a few weeks ago to tell key leaders how he planned to use his newly acquired 165,000 acres of desolate ranch land. He also gave his only interview so far on the spaceport to the Van Horn Advocate, the weekly newspaper Larry Simpson runs from the back of his Radio Shack store."He walked in and said: 'Hi, I'm Jeff Bezos,' and sat down right in that chair there," Simpson said, pointing to spot in his small cluttered office.
Over the next 30 to 40 minutes, Simpson said Bezos told him the goal of his venture — known as Blue Origin — was to send a spaceship into orbit that launches and lands vertically, like a rocket.
"He told me their first spacecraft is going to carry three people up to the edge of space and back," Simpson said. "But ultimately, his thing is space colonization."
Would this be available with free Super-Saver shipping? :-)
Posted by: William Hughes on March 15, 2005 7:51 AMBezos told him the goal of his venture — known as Blue Origin — was to send a spaceship into orbit that launches and lands vertically, like a rocket.
"He told me their first spacecraft is going to carry three people up to the edge of space and back," Simpson said.
This breaks no new technological ground (we did this and much more decades ago with Apollo) but it would be a first for a private venture. (The X Prize winner was more of a spaceplane than a traditional rocket.)
As for Van Horn, my Texas geography still isn't too good. But I'm betting it's (a) in the Southern part of the state (lower latitudes are good for space launches) and (b) in the middle of nowhere (ditto).
Posted by: Mathwiz on March 21, 2005 3:47 PM