Jeff Bezos Says He Takes Elon Musk At 'Face Value' Despite His Close Ties To Trump, Dismisses Concerns About SpaceX Undercutting Blue Origin

Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos voiced confidence in the competitive landscape of the commercial space industry, despite President-elect Donald Trump‘s close ties with rival Elon Musk‘s SpaceX, as Blue Origin prepares for a pivotal rocket launch.

What Happened: “Elon has been very clear that he’s doing this for the public interest and not for his personal gain. And I take him at face value,” Bezos told Reuters in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where Blue Origin’s 30-story New Glenn rocket awaits its debut launch.

The launch was rescheduled to Jan. 12 due to high seas in the Atlantic Ocean where the company plans to recover its booster.

The timing is significant as Musk, who invested over $250 million in Trump’s election campaign, has advocated for direct Mars missions over lunar exploration. This stance has sparked industry concerns about potential changes to NASA’s existing space programs under the incoming Trump administration.

“What we shouldn’t do is start and stop things. We should continue with the lunar program for sure,” Bezos emphasized, adding that both lunar and Martian missions are essential. Amazon.com, where Bezos serves as executive chairman, has pledged $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund.

See Also: Mark Zuckerberg Criticizes Apple For Stagnation, Highlighting Years-Long Rivalry With Tim Cook: Here’s The Backstory

Why It Matters: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently authorized Blue Origin’s five-year commercial space launch license for New Glenn operations. The vehicle’s first mission will serve as a certification flight for National Security Space Launch missions, carrying the company’s Blue Ring Pathfinder payload.

Blue Origin’s $3 billion NASA contract for lunar landing missions positions it alongside SpaceX in the agency’s space exploration strategy. “This is our first flight and we’ve prepared rigorously for it,” said Jarrett Jones, SVP of New Glenn, acknowledging the ambitious goal of recovering the booster on this maiden flight.

Bezos has previously maintained an optimistic outlook despite industry speculation about potential policy shifts under the incoming Trump administration.

Read Next:

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.