1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Messer and Bloomberg 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: Quick Takes Tim Stinovic from Bloomberg Radio this weekend. You 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: know about this one joint STEMP for space tourism as 4 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: billionaire Richard Branson took a long away to test flight 5 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: to space, taken alongside five of his Virgin Galactic Holdings employees. 6 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: Are Ed Ludlow. Uh did talk with him right after 7 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: the trip. You can catch that conversation at Bloomberg dot com. 8 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: Branson trip to space bolt ing. Virgin Atlantics plan to 9 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: debut tourism trips next year. Christian Davenport is report at 10 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: the Washington Post. He covers NASA and the space industry. 11 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 1: He's also author of The Space Barons, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, 12 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: and The Quest to Colonize the Cosmos. And Christian joins 13 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: us on the phone in Washington. D See, Christian, good 14 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,480 Speaker 1: to have you here. Yeah, thanks for having me. So 15 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,279 Speaker 1: you've been covering this, you've been writing about it, It's 16 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: been a long time coming. Tell us about your feelings 17 00:00:55,800 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: seeing Richard Branson actually get into one of his ships 18 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: and get out there into space. Well, I mean, yeah, 19 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: it was exciting first and foremost I was there. Uh 20 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: it was sort of a you know, beautiful day in 21 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: Spaceport America in the desert of New Mexico where they've 22 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:19,759 Speaker 1: built this gleaming facility, this twenty million dollar taxpayer funded facility, 23 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,960 Speaker 1: and you know, it was typical Richard Branson and Virgin 24 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: Galactic with like, you know, a band and a celebratory party. 25 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: Atmosphere is really sort of almost like it was very festive. 26 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: But at the same time, you're watching this and and 27 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: it's nerve wracking, and it's tense because you know, there 28 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: are human beings on board and anytime you're you know, 29 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 1: shooting humans off into space, it's inherently risky. And so 30 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna lie. I mean, I was holding my breath. 31 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people were, um, you know, 32 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: given the fact also the Virgin Galactic had a fatal accident. Thankfully, 33 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: you know, uh, it went it seemed like it went perfectly, 34 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, Richard had his moment in space, 35 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: got to float around the cabin with his crew members 36 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: and then come back down and celebrate. But it was, 37 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: you know, it was it was really a scene in 38 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: an extraordinary thing for the company. But really for Richard personally. Well, 39 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: and you know it's interesting that you say that the 40 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 1: party atmosphere. I'm a daughter of an engineer. Uh. Bloomberg 41 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: listeners know this involved in the early space race. Uh. 42 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: And you know we all got up early and it 43 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: was nerve wracking because my dad, you know, my dad 44 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: would say, there's you know, there's so many different systems 45 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: coming from so many different contractors on these things, at 46 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 1: least from the government's perspective, that so many things could 47 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,639 Speaker 1: potentially go wrong, although they obviously were really careful to 48 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: make sure the systems weren't and then they had backup systems. 49 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,359 Speaker 1: But it is interesting to see how it's become almost 50 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: like watching a movie to some extent. Yeah, and and right, 51 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,239 Speaker 1: a lot of people like to romanticize space flight, and 52 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: there's a lot of hype and a lot of enthusiasm 53 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: because you've got these billionaires with you know, Elon Musk 54 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: and Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson. Uh. It does sort 55 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: of seem like the movies. But you know, as you knows, 56 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 1: as you and your family know that this is it's 57 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: incredibly difficult, it's incredibly risky. A million things have to 58 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: go right, Um, now this isn't you know, this is 59 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 1: not this is a suborbital space trip. It's going just 60 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: up to the edge of space and coming back down. 61 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: You sound like Jeff Bezos for a moment, right, Right's 62 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,959 Speaker 1: or or elon because Elon he's going to orbit and 63 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: you know, so it's like that much. You know, he's 64 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 1: going to Mark and Richard's going to Mark three. So 65 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: it's still maybe not quite as dangerous, but still it's dangerous. Right. 66 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: There's a lot of things that that can that can happen. 67 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: We know that. So all right, so next up is 68 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: what Jeff Bezos, right, yeah, and on on Tuesday, on 69 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: July twenty at the anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, 70 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: and he announced that, um, you know, some time ago, 71 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: and then you know, Richard kind of beat him to 72 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: the punch. He said he wasn't you know, Richard was 73 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: going to go on a later flight for later the summer, 74 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: early in the fall, and then all of a sudden 75 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: moved up its flight, um, you know, which obviously it 76 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: angered Jeff and the people in Blue Origin, who, as 77 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: you were alluding to, sort of saying, well, they're not 78 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: quite going up as high as we're going and are 79 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: you know, windows are bigger, and it's own a rocket 80 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: as opposed to a space plane. Um. But you know, 81 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: it's just sort of extraordinary that you have Blue Origin 82 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: Jeff Company, which was founded in two thousand and Virgin Galactic, 83 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: which was founded in two thousand four, So all these 84 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: years ago and then the founders go to space within 85 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: you know, just a few days of each other. I mean, 86 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,559 Speaker 1: that's just wild. You know these guys from the book 87 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: you wrote, uh and you've talked with them. You know, 88 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: what is it that we need to understand about Richard Branson? 89 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 1: And we'll talk more. We're gonna do some news and 90 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 1: then we'll come back and talk somewhere. But what do 91 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: we need to understand about Richard Branson and his pursuit 92 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: of this. Well, he wants to open up space to 93 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: more and more people. I mean today there's something like 94 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: five seventy people who have ever been to space, and 95 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: he wants to open that up. Now, like you know, 96 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: he's not opening it up for everyone just yet. It's 97 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: still very expensive. We don't know how much tickets are 98 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 1: going to cost when they reopened. But before they suspended 99 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 1: ticket sales, the flying version Galactic they were two hundred 100 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: fifty thousand dollars. I think they'll come back on you know, 101 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: they've said it's going to be more expensive than that. 102 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: Some analysts have estimated it could be as much as 103 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 1: five thousand dollars. So for like three or four minutes 104 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: of weightlessness. I don't know that that's going to be 105 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: in everyone's budget. But if they're able to fly more frequently, 106 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,359 Speaker 1: and they're working on already sort of a next generation 107 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: spacecraft in a fleet, and then maybe they can bring 108 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: that down and send more people. So we've talked about 109 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: Richard Branson, We've talked about Jeff Bezos. He is up next. 110 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: So what's the significance Christian? I mean, I grew up 111 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: in an environment where this was just so important. It 112 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: was a it was a new world, you know, new 113 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: space exploration, you know, going into the unknown and and 114 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,279 Speaker 1: finding out so much, and then it felt like it 115 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,480 Speaker 1: waned so only here in the United States, and then 116 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 1: now we're seeing the private sector really step up and 117 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: push it. What's the significance of all of this? Yeah, 118 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: I mean that's a great question because I think a 119 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: lot of people look at these space tourism flights and 120 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: there's a lot of wealthy people and they're like, you know, 121 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: we've got problems here on Earth. Why are we spending 122 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: all this money on space? Um? But I think it's 123 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: significant for a few reasons. UM. One in terms of 124 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: exploration and expanding our knowledge and you know, being able 125 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 1: to go out, um, you know, deeper into space. Um. 126 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: If you start with space tourism, you know, Jeff Bezos 127 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: and talks about you know, traditionally, I mean really before 128 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: SpaceX came along, you know, you might have a rocket 129 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: company or NASA and they might you know, launch twelve 130 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 1: rockets a year, right, and that's just not very much. 131 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: But if these businesses you know, coming in with being 132 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: much more efficient, are launching you know, twelve times a 133 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 1: month and you know many many times a year, they 134 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: get better, they get faster, the cost comes down, they 135 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: may space travel just more accessible. I mean not just 136 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: for you know, like space tourism, but being able to 137 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: get to the Moon and maybe even get to Mars. 138 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: And you know, as you mentioned, like we went to 139 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: the moon and last time we were there with nineteen 140 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: seventy two and nobody's been back. And you know, I 141 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: think NASA and the government has struggled, and you have 142 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: one political you know, white White House, comes in, they say, 143 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: we're going to the moon. And then another president comes 144 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: into and now we've been to the moon. We're going 145 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: to Mars. And then you know, then it's like we're 146 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: back to the moon. They go nowhere, and now you've 147 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: got these businessmen and they're just like, no, we gotta go, 148 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: we gotta go now and trying to create a business 149 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: case for it. What's the m hmm. But I wanted 150 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: to ask you is like you said that this feels 151 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: like it's a rich person's endeavor. Uh, and the people 152 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 1: who can partake in it, and there is taxpayer money 153 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: that goes into it as well. Should the public sector? 154 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: Should government still be involved in all of this? Yeah, 155 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: I mean that's a great question. So there's taxpayer money 156 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: and going into some of it, like ASEX for example, 157 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: you know, they have contracts with NASA to fly cargo 158 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: and supplies to the International Space Station. Uh, they have 159 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: a contract to fly NASA's astronauts to the International Space Station. 160 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: And they've taken that money and yeah, I mean they 161 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: in turn have gone out and built the Falconine rocket 162 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: and the Dragon spacecraft and they can use that for 163 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: commercial purposes. If you've got NASA, they say, that's great, 164 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: that's what we wanted. We want to help build up 165 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 1: the industry. Up until now, Blue Origin has been funded, 166 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: you know, largely by Jeff Bezos his own personal fortune. 167 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: He's trying to change that by winning some of these contracts. 168 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: In fact, he's competing right now for a contract to 169 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 1: build a spacecraft that would land on the Moon that 170 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: actually SpaceX one and Jeff Bezos company, Blue Origin is 171 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,559 Speaker 1: challenging that. Um. But I think what you're seeing is, yes, 172 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: you want these public private partnerships where NASA and the 173 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: government is investing in them and getting something for it. 174 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: You know, they're getting a service, whether it's you know, 175 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 1: flying satellites to space or resupplying the space station or 176 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: flying astronauts there. Um. And then those companies turn around 177 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 1: and invest that money in their own companies for a 178 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: commercial purpose, you know, which should in the long run 179 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:18,560 Speaker 1: bring down the cost of the government while increasing their 180 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,680 Speaker 1: you know, the private sector's capabilities, which really has grown 181 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 1: tremendously like in the last decade or so. Well. And 182 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:28,359 Speaker 1: I do wonder what's kind of cool about the billionaires 183 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: who are involved in this, whether it's Elon, whether it's Richard, 184 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:35,679 Speaker 1: whether it's Jeff. I mean, these are individuals who definitely 185 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 1: do it differently and think out of the box. If 186 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 1: you think about the impact they have had on our world, 187 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: and especially in terms of disrupting things, especially when I 188 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: think about Elon, uh and even Jeff right, I mean, 189 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: retail has been transformed the class just you know, pick 190 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 1: your thing, and I do wonder if it's these things. Ultimately, 191 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:00,439 Speaker 1: all of this space exploration, right of all heard the 192 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,679 Speaker 1: stories about tang and about vel grow and you know, 193 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: I think it was either even tempera pedic beds, right, 194 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 1: Like all of this came out of NASA research and 195 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: so on and so forth. I mean, is there something 196 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 1: above and beyond that if we all kind of just 197 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: let our minds wander and open that the possibility by 198 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: exploring space, you know what we might find? They certainly 199 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: think so Am I getting too weird on you? But 200 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: I just feel like this is your world? And are 201 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: you talking to scientists and academics who say, wait, the 202 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: reason we need to be doing this is because of X, 203 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: Y and Z. Yeah. No, I don't think it's too 204 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 1: weird at all. And it fits right in for like 205 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: what Jeff. Jeff talks about this and he says he 206 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:43,679 Speaker 1: wants to use space to open up sort of this 207 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: new economic dynamism like we had with the advent of 208 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:50,840 Speaker 1: the Internet. But with the Internet, like that infrastructure was 209 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 1: in place so that you know, Mark Zuckerbert could found 210 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: Facebook from his dorm room and Jeff could you know, 211 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:59,679 Speaker 1: start Amazon because the infrastructure was there, like the phone 212 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 1: line to you laid down the cable, and there was 213 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,199 Speaker 1: this device called the credit card, and Jeff could take 214 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 1: people's money, and there was the post office that could 215 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 1: deliver the books, um, and so you could start an 216 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: internet company from nothing. But you can't today really start 217 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: a space company because it's too the you know, the 218 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:20,559 Speaker 1: the bar getting into access, it's just too high. It's 219 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: too difficult. The barriers to entry are too hard. And 220 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,320 Speaker 1: what they want to do is helped build that infrastructure 221 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,440 Speaker 1: so that some kid in his dorm room could start 222 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: a space company. And you're starting to see some of 223 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:33,960 Speaker 1: these like you know, we pay attention to like the 224 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:37,319 Speaker 1: billionaires and their rockets. But there's a company called Planet 225 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 1: out of San Francisco, for example, that has a fleet 226 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: of satellites and space and they take you know, an 227 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 1: image of the entire planet every single day and have 228 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: this massive database of the Earth going back through time. Um. 229 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: You know that's you know, a viable company right there 230 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: that's had a normal success. So I think what they 231 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: want to do is, yes, open that up or business 232 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 1: and for science, but they need to first build the infrastructure, 233 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: that sort of highway to space. All right, So just 234 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:09,719 Speaker 1: got about thirty forty seconds left here. What are you 235 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 1: going to be looking out for for Jeff Bezos in 236 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:15,439 Speaker 1: his flight next week? Yeah, I mean so it's it's 237 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:17,959 Speaker 1: not just Jeff and his brother who are going. We 238 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: still don't know the identity of this twenty eight million 239 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 1: dollar auction winner. Uh. You know they auctioned off that 240 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:26,559 Speaker 1: seat and they went to twenty eight million dollars. Wait, 241 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: I have to tell somebody everybody actually it was no, No, 242 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,719 Speaker 1: it's not me. Oh that it were true. Yes, but 243 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: it is a little crazy because if you spent fifty 244 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 1: five million, you could fly on SpaceX and spend a 245 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: week on the International Space Station. But we won't get 246 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: into that. Um. And the fourth seas is going to 247 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: Wally Funk, who's eighty two years old, and she was 248 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: part of this group called the Mercury Thirteen, which was 249 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:53,559 Speaker 1: a group of women and there was sort of a 250 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: privately funded endeavored to train them alongside the men in 251 00:12:57,840 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 1: the show that they were ready. And now she gets 252 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 1: or tripped space. Finally. I love that aspect of it. 253 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 1: And it's not a week. It's actually July twentie. It's 254 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 1: a little bit more than a week that we see 255 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 1: Jeff go up. Um. Christian, this was fun. Thank you 256 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:12,439 Speaker 1: so much for coming on. Christian Davenport over at the 257 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:16,080 Speaker 1: Washington Post cover space. Check out his book The Space Barrens. 258 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:17,959 Speaker 1: That's going to do it for this Monday, folks, get 259 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: ready for bank earnings. I'm Carol Messer and this is Bloomberg.