Demystifying the Billionaire Space Race

Paris Marx takes a solo episode to discuss the billionaire space race. Specifically, how billionaires are selling grand futures of space travel as a PR scheme to get huge public contracts that will allow them to control the infrastructure of space.

• Paris wrote about the billionaire space race, and it was translated into German, Italian, and Turkish.
• New Mexico’s $220-million Spaceport America that’s used by Virgin Galactic is a joke.
• SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service has been way overhyped.
• If we went to Mars, we would get cancer.
• Adam Mann had a great essay on how we should think about Mars, and whether it’s “ours.”
• Elon Musk says we can be indentured servants on Mars, and people will die.
• Paris has written about Jeff Bezos’ space colonies, and compared them to Blade Runner and The Expanse.
• Jeff Bezos stepped down as Amazon CEO to take on the role of Executive Chairman.
• Ursula K. Le Guin argues science fiction isn’t about the future, nor is it predictive.
• Amazon’s emissions rose 19% in 2020 and it’s helping Big Oil.
• Paris wrote about the real climate future billionaires are creating.

• We Can’t Allow Tech Solutions to Delay Climate Action w/ Molly Taft
• Can Tesla Survive Elon Musk? w/ Edward Niedermeyer
• Silicon Valley Doesn’t Get Science Fiction w/ Annalee Newitz
• Who Inspired Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos’ Space Visions? w/ Fred Scharmen