Nothing says "our planet is in trouble" like watching super-wealthy billionaires racing to leave it.

[StrictlyRockers]

Link to tweet

[Autumn]

1. Since they are coing back it just shows how stupid their competition is. nt

[Retrograde]

12. Yeah, but these days anybody* can buy a hike up Everest

or a trip to the bottom of the ocean: if you want to show that you're really, really, really rich space is the place

*anybody who's in reasonably good condition, has the 100K or so for a permit and equipment, and the wherewithal to take off several months for a climb where about 5% or more of those who try die, that is. It's gotten too crowded for the rich

[ansible]

2. I don't mind, NASA has failed us and they're our only hope now

When I was a child I expected space colonies and a whole fleet of space shuttles by 2021, not this fucking dystopian nightmare instead.

[TheRealNorth]

3. All the aerospace research money....

Went into the F-35.

[ansible]

7. No there's also a lot of corruption in NASA, just look at the James Webb Space Telescope

An utter absolute clusterfuck

[Ferrets are Cool]

18. I don't think NASA failed us. I think we failed NASA by not electing officials who

saw the need for a thriving space agency with real goals and purposes. JMO

[tecelote]

4. Imagine having enough money to feed the world...

[Happy Hoosier]

9. We can do more than one thing at a time.

We can feed the world AND make art, AND explore space. It just takes political will. But if we wait until there is no suffering to do other things, we will never do them.

[tecelote]

14. I agree.

But, we aren't doing as well as we could be at feeding the world, combating climate change, and so many other areas.

I just think it would be a better world if these billionaires focused their energy on different areas.

I'd like to see NASA expand space exploration rather than private space tourism companies.

[brooklynite]

10. Anything else you'd like to cash in besides astronomy?

Art Museums?

National Parks?

Archaeological Digs?

[tecelote]

13. Billionaires spending their money on rockets is not defunding astronomy, art museums, etc.

It's about the moral decision of a few billionaires to make rockets instead of using their money for critical needs.

Unless you're sure we need to give up on the earth, spending it on world hunger, global warming, etc. is more important than tourist visits to space.

[Lancero]

19. You'd be amazed at what all is descended from tech created for space exploration

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/07/08/space-race-inventions-we-use-every-day-were-created-for-space-exploration/39580591/

And that's all just for efforts to get to the moon.

[Srkdqltr]

5. They are not really going anywhere.

I'd be more impressed if they were going to the space station or Mars or the Moon.

[Happy Hoosier]

8. Give it time.

Many of us had hoped we’d be here 20 years ago, with teams striving to develop technology to make access to space cheaper, faster, and safer. The technologies developed will reap immense rewards.

[malaise]

6. And nothing would say karma more than...

ladeladeladela!

[Crunchy Frog]

11. I don't think there's anything we could do to our planet that would make it less hospitable

than the next most hospitable place out there.

Those billionaires are in for a rude awakening.

[BannonsLiver]

15. Meh it's not really about that

It’s about boredom and over stimulation that comes with being incredibly wealthy. This is just the next “thing.”

Sounds good in a tweet though. I guess.

[Renew Deal]

16. I don't agree but you should see Elysium if you are interested in the topic.

[tblue37]

17. Could Blue Origin look more phallic?

[StrictlyRockers]

20. I really don't think so. n/t

[hunter]

21. I'll probably laugh and write some sort of dark comedy when Elon Musk dies in space.

I'm a very horrible person.

If we naturally evolved humans don't manage destroy ourselves then any space beyond low earth orbit will belong to our intellectual children, artificial intelligences of the electronic or biological sort, creatures who can walk naked on Mars.

If we are good parents they won't hate us. Maybe they'll take us along for a ride, like dogs in a car.

[StrictlyRockers]

22. So dark.

I love it. I, for one, welcome our robotic overlords.