The Bezos-Musk space rivalry is shooting for the moon and the winner will not just dominate the cosmos—but the future of AI infrastructure |
The Bezos-Musk space rivalry is shooting for the moon and the winner will not just dominate the cosmos—but the future of AI infrastructure
Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, two of the three richest men in the world, are engaged in a stratospheric showdown to dominate space, and the outcome could decide the future of moon travel and even AI infrastructure.
In light of the Artemis II’s successful mission earlier this month, which saw astronauts fly by the moon for the first time in 50 years, both Musk’s SpaceX and Bezos’ Blue Origin have turned their attention away from other projects to prepare for future lunar missions. Both companies were awarded multi-billion-dollar contracts from NASA years ago to develop lunar landers for two future Artemis missions that plan to land humans on the moon by the end of the decade for the first time since 1972.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX versus Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin
SpaceX is developing its Human Landing System, an ambitious lander that at 165 feet tall, or 15 stories, is larger than any that has been previously made and will use an elevator to transport both astronauts and cargo to the lunar surface from the crew cabin near the top of the lander.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin is developing its Blue Moon lander. Although it looks more like a traditional lander, it is also technologically advanced. It will reportedly be equipped with LIDAR sensors that will map the moon’s surface to avoid hazards and find the flattest landing area, according to Space.com. Both companies’ landers are designed to be reusable, which is meant to cut down on the cost of future moon missions.
The stakes for SpaceX and Blue Origin are high. Whichever lunar lander is ready first and is successfully........