Bezos details Blue Origin plans: orbital data centers, 2028 moon landing, eventual IPO

Mixed · 2Jeff Bezos told Fox News's Bret Baier on "Special Report" on Wednesday 7 October that Blue Origin plans orbital data centers, a sustainable lunar base and ever more frequent rocket launches. 1 2 Right · 1The interview was recorded on Blue Origin's factory floor in Cape Canaveral, Florida, as Fox News Channel marked its 30th anniversary. 1 Right · 1Bezos said the US must beat China to the moon and expressed confidence that humans can land there in 2028, which would require routine cargo landings to support a lunar base. 1

Right · 1He argued the moon should come before Mars, saying lunar soil could be used to make solar cells and oxygen produced there could serve as rocket propellant. 1 Right · 1On space-based computing, Bezos pointed to Blue Origin's Project Sunrise, saying the company has applied to the Federal Communications Commission to launch more than 50,000 satellites serving as orbital data centers. 1 Mixed · 2He said Blue Origin will fly its New Glenn rocket again in December, after a launch-pad explosion during a static-fire engine test in May; the next flight will carry the Blue Ring payload vehicle. 2 1

Right · 1Asked about raising launches from one pad from 12 to 50 a year, Bezos said three more pads are being built; his long-term goal is to fly every day, then every hour, then every minute, which he said his own team thinks is crazy. 1 Mixed · 2Bezos said he has personally invested $28 billion in Blue Origin and that it recently raised $10 billion from outside investors for the first time. 2 1 Centre · 1He said an initial public offering is likely "several years from now"; CNA called this his clearest indication yet of a possible listing, and noted that the Wall Street Journal reported in September that the round valued Blue Origin at $140 billion. 2

Centre · 1CNA added that rival SpaceX, which listed in June, remains the dominant player, and that Blue Origin has relied largely on Bezos for funding while winning multibillion-dollar NASA and US Space Force contracts, including for Artemis. 2 Right · 1The wider interview covered AI and politics: Bezos predicted AI productivity gains could let some families live on one income or work shorter weeks, and urged a light regulatory hand, saying "You don’t want to regulate knives, you want to regulate murder." 1 Right · 1Baier challenged him over roughly 30,000 corporate roles Amazon has cut since late last year; Bezos said Amazon was in a "very special position" after expanding its workforce during the pandemic. 1

Right · 1Responding to Sen. Bernie Sanders's criticism of billionaires, Bezos said "Success is not villainy" and that politicians who pick villains probably lack solutions. 1