Bezos don’t come back
The day has finally arrived when Jeff Bezos has been shot into space, though not everyone wants him to return. You might remember a petition circulating that called for Bezos to be denied entry back to earth. Where he would then go was not brought into question.
#NewShepard is on the pad. The launch team completed vehicle rollout this morning and final preparations are underway. Liftoff is targeted for 8:00 am CDT / 13:00 UTC. Live broadcast begins at T-90 minutes on https://t.co/7Y4TherpLr. #NSFirstHumanFlight pic.twitter.com/oShmtRmA4n
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) July 20, 2021
Having now stepped down as Amazon CEO, the company he proudly founded in a garage, Bezos has set his sights on new heights- literally!
The New Shepherd will take three minutes to journey to the precipice of space, where it will experience weightlessness for another three minutes. Afterwards, the ship will fall back to earth, but not if this petition has anything to say about it. Having already beaten their goal of 150,000 signatures, the petition is now at 200,000. Bezos will travel to space with his brother, the son of a millionaire, and 82-year old Wally Funk.
The petition reads:
“Jeff Bezos has attained the crown of world’s richest man, and he wears it proudly. He is arguably both fiscally and emotionally disconnected not just from a majority of humanity, but from a majority of what makes us human. And now he looks to fulfil total separation by leaving Earth’s atmosphere via means of a personally funded rocket ship. A means once only reserved for developed nations and their people to unite them in realising a more noble pursuit: “to inspire and serve…and to benefit the quality of life on Earth.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CReiL9wH4GS/
“In a country where people go bankrupt and homeless due to medical debt…
“where people must choose between going hungry or purchasing lifesaving medications…
“where people don’t have access to clean drinking water…
“where secured housing isn’t a guarantee,” the post continues.
“The recent billionaire space odyssey competition is a slap in the face to working-class folks struggling paycheck to paycheck just to survive. Whether they are struggling with food insecurity, healthcare, shelter, or access to clean water, these issues have a price tag that isn’t quite as unfathomable as the idle billionaires, corporate lobbyists, and Washington bureaucrats would have you believe. Endless studies have shown that it’s fiscally cheaper to move forward with a policy that would fully eradicate the deepest ills of our society rather than through an incrementalist policy approach, which seems to be Congress’ preferred method.”
With the launch having gone well, what does the petition hope to achieve beyond being a funny talking point? It would however be pretty comical if the world’s governments were like, “Sorry Jeff, the world has spoken.”
Liftoff is on track for 8:00 am CDT / 13:00 UTC. Live broadcast begins at T-90 minutes on https://t.co/7Y4TherpLr. A thread: pic.twitter.com/40zEgQyaCD
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) July 20, 2021
