{"id":19142,"date":"2016-12-08T21:53:17","date_gmt":"2016-12-08T13:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/john-glenn-hails-jeff-bezos-space-feats-in-letter-written-days-before-astronauts-death\/"},"modified":"2016-12-08T21:53:17","modified_gmt":"2016-12-08T13:53:17","slug":"john-glenn-hails-jeff-bezos-space-feats-in-letter-written-days-before-astronauts-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/john-glenn-hails-jeff-bezos-space-feats-in-letter-written-days-before-astronauts-death\/","title":{"rendered":"John Glenn hails Jeff Bezos\u2019 space feats in letter written days before astronaut\u2019s death"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_209208\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-209208\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-209208\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/151031-blue-620x447.jpg\" alt=\"Bezos and Blue Origin\" width=\"620\" height=\"447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/151031-blue-620x447.jpg 620w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/151031-blue.jpg 850w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-209208\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jeff Bezos shows off the concept for Blue Origin\u2019s launch system during a news conference in Florida in September 2015. The rocket is named after John Glenn. (Blue Origin Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos accepted yet another award tonight for his Blue Origin space effort, but the prize he treasured the most is no doubt an accompanying letter from space hero John Glenn, who passed away 10 days after writing it.<\/p>\n<p>The letter, dated Nov. 28, was made public as Bezos received a Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award tonight in Washington, D.C. The first African-American woman to fly in space, Mae Jemison, read Glenn\u2019s tribute to&nbsp;Bezos at the ceremony&nbsp;\u2013 only hours after Glenn died in an Ohio hospital.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Origin has successfully sent its New Shepard suborbital rocket ship to outer space and back five times, duplicating Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard\u2019s ride. And it\u2019s gearing up to build New Glenn rockets that will send spacecraft into orbit, just as Glenn went into orbit in 1962.<\/p>\n<p>Glenn wrote that he was \u201cdeeply touched\u201d to have a rocket named after him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs the original Glenn, I can tell you I see the day coming when people will board spacecraft the same way millions of us now board jetliners,\u201d the letter read. \u201cWhen that happens, it will be largely because of your epic achievements this year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Earlier in the day, Bezos issued his own short tribute to Glenn via Twitter upon&nbsp;hearing of his death:<\/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=806976159166570496&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2016%2Fjohn-glenn-jeff-bezos-blue-origin%2F&amp;sessionId=06b3ed3caefb50074e551975b5f05ae2ebba0389&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"806976159166570496\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782803762351595177=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Thank you, John Glenn. Godspeed.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) December 8, 2016<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Jeff Bezos\u2019 fellow Smithsonian honorees included space archaeologist Sarah Parcak; comedian Aziz Ansari; the multimedia performance group OK Go; Scholly CEO Christopher Gray; filmmaker David Lynch; medical researcher Anthony Atala; Flint water activist Leeanne Walters and Virginia Tech engineer Marc Edwards; and LIGO team leaders Kip Thorne, Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish and Ronald Drever. But it\u2019s fair to say that John Glenn stole the show.<\/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=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=807060205985001472&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2016%2Fjohn-glenn-jeff-bezos-blue-origin%2F&amp;sessionId=06b3ed3caefb50074e551975b5f05ae2ebba0389&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"807060205985001472\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782803762351595177=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rocket man. Inspirational. @JeffBezos #IngenuityAwards pic.twitter.com\/WmW6anwi2V<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kyle MacLachlan (@Kyle_MacLachlan) December 9, 2016<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the full text of Glenn\u2019s letter, as published by SmithsonianMag.com:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Mr. Jeff Bezos<br \/>\nFounder and Manufacturer<br \/>\nBlue Origin<\/p>\n<p>Dear Jeff,<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m really thrilled to congratulate you on winning the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for your historic achievement in rocketry with Blue Origin.<\/p>\n<p>When I first orbited the earth, in 1962, you were still two years from being born. And when I returned to space, in 1998, Blue Origin was still two years in the future. But you were already driven by a vision of space travel accessible not only to highly trained pilots and engineers and scientists, but to all of us. And you understood that to realize that vision, we would have to be able to get to space more often and more inexpensively. So you and your Blue Origin team began designing rockets that can be reused over and over again.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m deeply touched that you\u2019ve named the second generation of those rockets&nbsp;\u2013 the first reusable rocket to orbit the Earth&nbsp;\u2013 the New Glenn. As the original Glenn, I can tell you I see the day coming when people will board spacecraft the same way millions of us now board jetliners. When that happens, it will be largely because of your epic achievements this year.<\/p>\n<p>Again, my congratulations and best regards.<\/p>\n<p>Sincerely,<br \/>\nJohn Glenn<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jeff Bezos shows off the concept for Blue Origin\u2019s launch system during a news conference in Florida in September 2015. The rocket is named after John Glenn. (Blue Origin Photo) Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos accepted yet another award tonight for his Blue Origin space effort, but the prize he treasured the most is no doubt [&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":[5078,509,1046,3289,510,3167],"class_list":["post-19142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-awards","tag-blue-origin","tag-jeff-bezos","tag-john-glenn","tag-new-glenn","tag-smithsonian"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19142"}],"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=19142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19142\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}