Bezos and Musk "Congratulate Branson on Space Travel"... Underneath, a Battle of Nerves

"Real Space Travel" Title Not Accepted
Blue Origin "We Fly Higher"
SpaceX "Orbital Flight Is a Level Above"

▲Jeff Bezos, CEO of Blue Origin [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Billionaires who share the common dream of ‘space travel’ showcased warm friendships surrounding Richard Branson, Virgin Group chairman’s successful space tourism test flight. However, behind the scenes, a subtle rivalry continued over the title of the ‘real space travel’ pioneer.

On the 11th (Eastern Time), Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and CEO of Blue Origin, congratulated Chairman Branson on Instagram, expressing his eagerness to join the ‘space tourism club’ as soon as possible.

Regarding the view of a billionaire space race, Branson said in a media interview that day, "This is not a race," and wished Bezos and his team to board their spacecraft in the best condition.

On the same day, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, watched Branson’s space flight in person at the launch site in New Mexico. He also took a commemorative photo with Branson before the departure.

Branson showed off their friendship, saying, "It was really nice that Elon showed up at 3 a.m. today to wish us luck." It was previously reported that Musk had purchased a space travel ticket from Virgin Galactic, led by Branson. However, it is unknown what position Musk holds on the waiting list for space travel.

▲Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Before the test flight, Branson told the UK’s Sunday Times in an interview, "Musk is my friend," and added, "Maybe someday I will also board his spacecraft and travel."

However, they kept eyeing each other, each claiming to be the protagonist of the private space tourism era. Bezos recently emphasized that Blue Origin’s space rocket flies higher than Branson’s spaceplane. The European International Astronautical Federation defines space as beyond the ‘K?rm?n line’ at an altitude of 100 km, and Branson’s space tourism does not meet this criterion.

In response, Branson rebutted, saying, "NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) define space at an altitude of 80 km," and insisted there is no problem at all.

Musk, who aims for Mars colonization, recently tweeted, "There is a big difference between reaching space and going to farther orbits," rating Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin as a level below SpaceX.

Meanwhile, Bezos, who heads to space nine days later than Branson, will embark on space tourism on the 20th, coinciding with the 52nd anniversary of Apollo 11’s moon landing. He will board the spacecraft with his younger brother Mark Bezos and 82-year-old Wally Funk, among others.

SpaceX, the space exploration company founded by Elon Musk, will also challenge orbital flight around Earth with four civilians aboard a spacecraft in September. However, Musk himself will not board the spacecraft.