{"id":18877,"date":"2017-07-16T23:12:50","date_gmt":"2017-07-16T15:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/jeff-bezos-gets-a-kick-out-of-winning-the-first-buzz-aldrin-space-innovation-award\/"},"modified":"2017-07-16T23:12:50","modified_gmt":"2017-07-16T15:12:50","slug":"jeff-bezos-gets-a-kick-out-of-winning-the-first-buzz-aldrin-space-innovation-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/jeff-bezos-gets-a-kick-out-of-winning-the-first-buzz-aldrin-space-innovation-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeff Bezos gets a kick out of winning the first Buzz Aldrin Space Innovation Award"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_348975\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-348975\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-348975\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/170716-bezos-aldrin-2-630x691.jpg\" alt=\"Bezos and Aldrin\" width=\"630\" height=\"691\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/170716-bezos-aldrin-2-630x691.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/170716-bezos-aldrin-2-768x843.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/170716-bezos-aldrin-2-1148x1260.jpg 1148w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/170716-bezos-aldrin-2.jpg 1332w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-348975\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blue Origin\u2019s Jeff Bezos receives the Buzz Aldrin Space Innovation Award from Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin during a gala at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Buzz Aldrin via Twitter)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and his Blue Origin space venture have picked up a good number of awards over the past year, but this weekend\u2019s award was the first of its kind.<\/p>\n<p>The Buzz Aldrin Space Innovation Award was created by the famed Apollo 11 moonwalker, who gave Bezos his weighty glass trophy during a Saturday night gala at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center.<\/p>\n<p>In a day-after tweet, the 87-year-old Aldrin said he was \u201cdelighted\u201d to have Bezos and Blue Origin as the award\u2019s first honorees. Bezos tweeted his thanks in return.<\/p>\n<p>Bezos also passed along a picture showing him in the midst of his trademark laugh as Mike Collins, Aldrin\u2019s Apollo 11 crewmate, entertains the crowd:<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=886779647660179457&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2017%2Fjeff-bezos-buzz-aldrin-space-innovation-award%2F&amp;sessionId=102a7e6e49492a599009ace0ab850a7df1ed941a&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"886779647660179457\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782802368249746857=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Mike Collins cracking us all up last night. pic.twitter.com\/bnpHp0ZCK4<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) July 17, 2017<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Apollo astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Walt Cunningham joined Aldrin, Collins and Bezos on stage.<\/p>\n<p>Aldrin established the Apollo 11 Anniversary Gala to commemorate his moon mission, which blasted off from Kennedy Space Center 48 years ago today. The event at the Apollo-Saturn V Center raised more than $190,000 for Aldrin\u2019s educational charity, the ShareSpace Foundation. It also gave Aldrin an opportunity to turn a spotlight on his vision for Mars exploration.<\/p>\n<p>America could send astronauts to the Red Planet by 2040, Aldrin said, but he added that the cost of getting to space has to be trimmed back.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"icon-quotes-left\"><\/span>&nbsp;We can have a trillion humans in the solar system.<span class=\"icon-quotes-right\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe programs we have right now are eating up every piece of the budget, and it has to be reduced if we\u2019re ever going to get anywhere,\u201d The Associated Press quoted him as saying.<\/p>\n<p>Bezos voiced a similar perspective. \u201cWe can have a trillion humans in the solar system. What\u2019s holding us back from making that next step is that space travel is just too darned expensive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Origin, headquartered in Kent, Wash., is Bezos\u2019 vehicle for solving that problem. In April, he said that he\u2019s selling a billion dollars\u2019 worth of Amazon stock every year to put toward Blue Origin\u2019s development of reusable suborbital and orbital spaceships.<\/p>\n<p>The suborbital spaceship, New Shepard, already has gone through five successful uncrewed test flights to space and back, flying from Blue Origin\u2019s West Texas facility. Passengers could start taking a ride as early as next year.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Origin is also building a factory in Florida for its orbital-class New Glenn rocket, and has plans to manufacture its next-generation BE-4 rocket engines in Alabama. Orbital launches are slated to begin by 2020.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=886385112962695168&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2017%2Fjeff-bezos-buzz-aldrin-space-innovation-award%2F&amp;sessionId=102a7e6e49492a599009ace0ab850a7df1ed941a&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"886385112962695168\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782802368249746857=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Proud to present @maejemison with the 1st Annual Buzz Aldrin Space Pioneer award. #Apollo11Gala pic.twitter.com\/yAGhtCF4Yf<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 16, 2017<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>If Bezos is able to follow through on his space ambitions, Blue Origin may well help make Aldrin\u2019s vision for 2040 a reality by sending payloads and people beyond Earth orbit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe should build permanent settlements on the moon\u2019s poles, where we can get water and solar power,\u201d Techradar quoted Bezos as saying. \u201cWe know things about the moon we didn\u2019t know back in the 1960s and 1970s, and with reusable rockets we can do it affordably. We can get that done today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX\u2019s billionaire founder, Elon Musk, has a similar vision, focused on Mars \u2013 and it wouldn\u2019t be surprising if Musk wins a future space innovation award from Aldrin.<\/p>\n<p>Mae Jemison, who became the first African-American woman to go into space in 1992, received the Buzz Aldrin Space Pioneer Award at Saturday\u2019s gala.<\/p>\n<p>In an AP interview, she paid tribute to Aldrin in return.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen Buzz says, \u2018Get your ass to Mars,\u2019 it\u2019s not just about the physical part of getting to Mars. It\u2019s also about that commitment to doing something big and audacious,\u201d Jemison said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Blue Origin\u2019s Jeff Bezos receives the Buzz Aldrin Space Innovation Award from Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin during a gala at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Buzz Aldrin via Twitter) Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and his Blue Origin space venture have picked up a good number of awards over the past year, but this weekend\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[509,3255,1046,5369],"class_list":["post-18877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-blue-origin","tag-buzz-aldrin","tag-jeff-bezos","tag-mae-jemison"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18877"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18877"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18877\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}