In a recent speech at the 2021 Ignatius Forum in Washington, DC, the founder of Blue Origin, billionaire Jeff Bezos, shared his vision for the future of space and the role of Earth. In an interview, Bezos argued that Earth is too small to sustain the growth and energy demands of civilization, predicting that ultimately most of that development will move “beyond the planet.”
In the future, Bezos predicts that many people will move from Earth to space to live.
Previously, at the 70th International Astronautical Congress in 2019, Jeff Bezos stated: “This Earth can only support 10 billion people. But the Solar System can support a trillion people. And then we will have a thousand Mozarts and a thousand Einsteins.”
Looking ahead, Bezos predicts that millions of people will move from Earth to space, and some will even be born in space. Meanwhile, Earth will become a tourist destination. As Bezos describes, “People could visit Earth the way they visit Yellowstone National Park today.” Additionally, humans will be able to simulate artificial gravity, as well as rivers and forests in space.
Jeff Bezos credits his inspiration to Princeton physicist Gerard O’Neill, who proposed the concept of living environments in space in 1976. He also mentioned that expanding into space is inevitable if humanity wants to develop sustainably.
Moreover, Bezos believes that there is life beyond Earth. “There are so many stars in so many galaxies, the idea that we are the only intelligent beings in the universe seems impossible to me.” Although Bezos acknowledges that his ideas about the future in space may sound far-fetched, he believes they will become reality. This is why his space company, Blue Origin, operates, which he sees as “the pathway to space to help future generations build a life there.”
