Editing Jeff Bezos (section)

=== Blue Origin ===
{{Main|Blue Origin}}<!-- This section is NOT about Blue Origin. It is about how Bezos relates (interacts) to (with) Blue Origin. Any other contributions can be taken to the main article. -->
[[File:NASA Deputy Administrator Tours Blue Origin.jpg|thumb|Bezos and [[Rob Meyerson]] (fifth from left) giving NASA Deputy Administrator [[Lori Garver]] (fourth from left) a tour of Blue Origin's crew capsule in 2011]]
[[File:Secretary of Defense Ash Carter meets with Jeff Bezos, May 5, 2016 (1).jpg|thumb|Then U.S. Secretary of Defense [[Ash Carter]] meets with Bezos in 2016 at [[The Pentagon]].]]

In September 2000, Bezos founded Blue Origin, a [[human spaceflight]] [[startup]].<ref name="msnbc2007-01-03">{{cite web|last=Boyle|first=Alan|title=Blue Origin Revealed|url=http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/03/26062.aspx|publisher=[[MSNBC]]|date=December 9, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223032428/http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/03/26062.aspx|archive-date=December 23, 2009}}</ref> Bezos has long expressed an interest in space travel and the development of human life in the Solar System.<ref name="st20120331" /> His 1982 high school [[valedictorian]] senior graduation speech was followed up with a ''[[Miami Herald]]'' interview in which he expressed an interest to build and develop hotels, amusement parks, and colonies for human beings who were in orbit.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/node/21548487|title=Taking the long view|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=March 3, 2012|access-date=April 29, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430114118/https://www.economist.com/node/21548487|archive-date=April 30, 2018}}</ref> The 18-year-old Bezos stated that he wanted to preserve Earth from overuse through [[resource depletion]].<ref name=Whoriskey>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/for-bezos-the-post-represents-new-frontier/2013/08/10/ba7cfeb6-013c-11e3-9a3e-916de805f65d_story.html|title=For Jeff Bezos, a new frontier|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 12, 2013|last=Whoriskey|first=Peter|access-date=February 20, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916053753/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/for-bezos-the-post-represents-new-frontier/2013/08/10/ba7cfeb6-013c-11e3-9a3e-916de805f65d_story.html|archive-date=September 16, 2017}}</ref> [[Rob Meyerson]] led Blue Origin from 2003 to 2017 and served as its first president.<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 8, 2018|title=Former Blue Origin president Rob Meyerson leaves Jeff Bezos' space venture|url=https://www.geekwire.com/2018/veteran-aerospace-engineer-rob-meyerson-leaves-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-space-venture/|access-date=April 9, 2021|website=GeekWire|language=en-US|archive-date=March 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301162826/https://www.geekwire.com/2018/veteran-aerospace-engineer-rob-meyerson-leaves-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-space-venture/|url-status=live}}</ref>

After its founding, Blue Origin maintained a low profile until 2006 when it purchased a large tract of land in [[West Texas]] for a launch and test facility.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116312683235519444|title=Buzz in West Texas is about Jeff Bezos space craft launch site|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=November 10, 2006|last=Mangalindan|first=Mylene|access-date=May 28, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205053621/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116312683235519444|archive-date=February 5, 2015}}</ref> After the company gained the public's attention during the late 2000s, Bezos additionally indicated his interest in reducing the [[Human spaceflight|cost of space travel]] for humans while also increasing the safety of extraterrestrial travel.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/11/ff_bezos/all/1|title=Jeff Bezos Owns the Web in More Ways Than You Think|magazine=Wired|date=November 13, 2011|last=Levy|first=Steven|access-date=December 9, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210145216/http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/11/ff_bezos/all/1|archive-date=December 10, 2011}}</ref> In September 2011, one of the company's uncrewed prototype vehicles crashed during a short-hop test flight. Although the crash was viewed as a setback, news outlets noted how far the company went from its founding-to-date in advancing [[spaceflight]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/21548487|title=Taking the long view: Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, owes much of his success to his ability to look beyond the short-term view of things|date=March 3, 2012|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=August 10, 2013|quote=''Mr Bezos's willingness to take a long-term view also explains his fascination with space travel, and his decision to found a secretive company called Blue Origin, one of several start-ups now building spacecraft with private funding.''|archive-date=August 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808064440/http://www.economist.com/node/21548487|url-status=live}}</ref> After the crash, Bezos has been superstitiously wearing his "lucky" Texas [[Cowboy boots]] to all rocket launches.<ref>{{Cite video |title=Fireside Chat with Jeff Bezos; Shah Rukh Khan, Zoya Akhtar; Amazon Prime Video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJJB7eb-1u0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207141134/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJJB7eb-1u0 |archive-date=February 7, 2021 |time=34m10s |via=YouTube |access-date=February 18, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2013, Bezos met with [[Richard Branson]], chairman of [[Virgin Galactic]], to discuss commercial spaceflight opportunities and strategies.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/05/27/richard-branson-space-flight-jeff-bezos-elon-musk-amazon-spacex/2356245|title=Unplugged: Richard Branson's otherworldly space quest|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=May 27, 2013|last=Veverka|first=Mark|access-date=May 28, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527155653/http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/05/27/richard-branson-space-flight-jeff-bezos-elon-musk-amazon-spacex/2356245/|archive-date=May 27, 2013}}</ref> He has been compared to Branson and Elon Musk as all three are billionaires who prioritize spaceflight among their business interests.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/04/three-billionaires-are-racing-to-space--who-will-win- |title=Three Billionaires Are Racing to Space. Who Will Win? |last=Worrall |first=Simon |date=April 7, 2018 |work=National Geographic |access-date=April 7, 2018 |archive-date=April 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407184158/https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/04/three-billionaires-are-racing-to-space--who-will-win-/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2015, Bezos announced that a new [[orbital launch vehicle]] was under development and would make its first flight in the late-2010s.<ref name="sn20150915">{{cite web |last1=Foust |first1=Jeff |title=Bezos Not Concerned About Competition, Possible ULA Sale |url=http://spacenews.com/bezos-not-concerned-about-competition-possible-ula-sale |access-date=September 16, 2015 |website=Space News |date=September 15, 2015 |archive-date=December 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20161218180647/http://spacenews.com/bezos-not-concerned-about-competition-possible-ula-sale/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Later in November, Blue Origin's [[New Shepard]] space vehicle successfully rocketed into space and reached its planned test altitude of 329,839 feet (100.5 kilometers) before executing a [[VTVL|vertical landing]] back at the launch site in West Texas. In 2016, Bezos allowed select journalists to visit, tour, and photograph his facility.<ref name="gw20160308">{{cite web |last=Boyle |first=Alan |url=http://www.geekwire.com/2016/jeff-bezos-lifts-curtain-blue-origin-rocket-factory-vision-space |title=Jeff Bezos lifts curtain on Blue Origin rocket factory, lays out grand plan for space travel that spans hundreds of years |website=[[GeekWire]] |date=March 8, 2016 |access-date=March 11, 2016 |archive-date=March 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310101109/http://www.geekwire.com/2016/jeff-bezos-lifts-curtain-blue-origin-rocket-factory-vision-space/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He has repeatedly called for increased inter-space energy and industrial manufacturing to decrease the negative costs associated with [[Pollution|business-related pollution]].<ref name="ars20160310">{{cite web|last=Berger|first=Eric|url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/03/jeff-bezos-says-he-wants-to-fly-into-space-as-soon-as-possible|title=Jeff Bezos says he wants to fly into space 'as soon as possible'|website=[[Ars Technica]]|date=March 10, 2016|access-date=March 11, 2016|quote=Bezos: ''I want to change the whole cost structure of accessing space.''|archive-date=March 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310202956/http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/03/jeff-bezos-says-he-wants-to-fly-into-space-as-soon-as-possible/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In December 2017, New Shepard successfully flew and landed [[Crash test dummy|dummy passengers]], amending and pushing its human space travel start date into late 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.space.com/39111-blue-origin-mannequin-skywalker-dummy-launch.html |title=Later, Vader! Watch Blue Origin Fly 'Mannequin Skywalker' to Space and Back |last=Malik |first=Tariq |work=Space.com |access-date=April 4, 2018 |archive-date=April 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405214436/https://www.space.com/39111-blue-origin-mannequin-skywalker-dummy-launch.html |url-status=live }}</ref> To execute this program, Blue Origin built six of the vehicles to support all phases of testing and operations: no-passenger test flights, flights with test passengers, and commercial-passenger weekly operations.<ref name="sn20160308">{{cite web|url=http://spacenews.com/blue-origin-plans-growth-spurt-this-year|title=Blue Origin plans growth spurt this year|last=Foust|first=Jeff|date=March 8, 2016|website=[[SpaceNews (publication)|SpaceNews]]|access-date=March 11, 2016}}</ref> Since 2016, Bezos has spoken more freely about his hopes to [[Extraterrestrial life|colonize the solar system]], and has been selling $1 billion in Amazon stock each year to capitalize Blue Origin in an effort to support this endeavor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/05/science/blue-origin-rocket-jeff-bezos-amazon-stock.html|title=Jeff Bezos Says He Is Selling $1 Billion a Year in Amazon Stock to Finance Race to Space|last=St. Fluer|first=Nicholas|date=April 5, 2017|access-date=April 8, 2017|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|archive-date=April 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408021704/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/05/science/blue-origin-rocket-jeff-bezos-amazon-stock.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/29279/20160927/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-colonize-solar-system.htm|title=Jeff Bezos: Blue Origin Wants to Colonize the Solar System|last=Ayque|first=Jamie|date=September 27, 2016|access-date=September 27, 2016|archive-date=September 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160928164651/http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/29279/20160927/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-colonize-solar-system.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2018, Bezos maintained that the primary goal of Blue Origin is to preserve the [[Natural resource|natural resources of Earth]] by making the human species [[Extraterrestrial life|multi-planetary]].<ref name=Boyle>{{cite news|url=https://www.geekwire.com/2018/jeff-bezos-isdc-space-vision|title=Jeff Bezos: 'We will have to leave this planet ... and it's going to make this planet better'|last=Boyle|first=Alan|date=May 29, 2018|work=GeekWire|access-date=May 31, 2018|archive-date=May 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529170353/https://www.geekwire.com/2018/jeff-bezos-isdc-space-vision/|url-status=live}}</ref> He announced that ''New Shepard'' would begin transporting humans into [[Sub-orbital spaceflight|sub-orbital space]] by November 2018.<ref name=Boyle /> In July 2018, it was announced that Bezos had priced commercial spaceflight tickets from $200,000 to $300,000 per person.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-blueorigin-exclusive/exclusive-jeff-bezos-plans-to-charge-at-least-200000-for-space-rides-sources-idUSKBN1K301R|title=Exclusive: Jeff Bezos plans to charge at least $200,000 for space...|last=Johnson |first=Eric M.|date=July 16, 2018|work=Reuters|access-date=July 18, 2018|archive-date=July 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717235741/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-blueorigin-exclusive/exclusive-jeff-bezos-plans-to-charge-at-least-200000-for-space-rides-sources-idUSKBN1K301R|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Spaceflight====
{{Infobox astronaut
| type = Commercial Astronaut<br />[[File:US - FAA Astronaut Wings version 2.png|150px]]
| selection = [[Blue Origin]]
| flight_time = 10m 18s
| missions = [[Blue Origin NS-16|NS-16]]
| insignia = 
}}
On July 20, 2021, he launched on the [[NS-16]] mission with his half-brother Mark Bezos, [[Wally Funk]], and [[Oliver Daemen]].<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57386049|title = Jeff Bezos and brother to fly to space in Blue Origin flight|work = BBC News|date = June 7, 2021|access-date = June 7, 2021|archive-date = December 3, 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211203094634/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57386049|url-status = live}}</ref> He launched nine days after [[Richard Branson]] launched on board the [[Virgin Galactic Unity 22]] mission. Bezos's [[Sub-orbital spaceflight|suborbital flight]] lasted over 10 minutes, reaching a peak altitude of {{convert|66.5|mi|km}}.<ref>{{cite news |title=Jeff Bezos, Mark Bezos, Wally Funk and Oliver Daemen reach edge of space, return safely on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/07/20/bezos-space-flight-live-updates-video/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 20, 2021 |language=en |access-date=July 20, 2021 |archive-date=July 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720130659/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/07/20/bezos-space-flight-live-updates-video/ |url-status=live }}</ref>