Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos to Build and Launch Rockets in Florida
Imagine if anyone could buy a ticket to space? Amazon CEO and Founder Jeff Bezos is on a mission to make that happen. He announced Tuesday that his aerospace company Blue Origin is planning to build and launch rockets on Florida's Space Coast. The company will open a new manufacturing facility in Florida where it will build rockets next to NASA's Kennedy Space Center. 'We looked at five different states,' Bezos stated. 'A couple different advantages that I can point out: it’s very geographically advantageous to launch from here. There’s also a big pool of technical talent here.' The rockets will be tested and launched from Launch Complex 36, which is a nearby historic launch pad located on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. 'We’re not just launching from here, we’re building here,' Bezos added. The company is spending approximately $200 million on this new facility, which is expected to create more than 300 new jobs. Along with this announcement, Bezos revealed a massive new rocket in the works. Compared to the previous one called 'New Shepard,' the new one will be bigger and more powerful. Eventually, Blue Origin wants to fly tourists into space at an affordable cost and give them a chance to see Earth from a distance. TheStreet's U-Jin Lee reports from New York.
