Billionaire Jeff Bezos flew to space for 11 minutes Tuesday, following trips beyond Earth’s atmosphere by business magnates Richard Branson and Elon Musk. Some have criticized the costly journeys, as people on this planet struggle with a still-ongoing pandemic, persistent wealth inequality and worsening climate change. But Miles O’Brien, science correspondent for PBS Newshour, argues in a piece for the Washington Post that such efforts will “help the rest of humanity along the way.” He joined Jim Braude on Greater Boston to discuss.
O’Brien says this version of the space race can be good for climate change and other challenges on Earth, because it could help develop new technologies and make them more accessible — for example, sensors in space to monitor climate change, GPS, satellite and other communication technologies. “We can look back at our planet better by having ready and easy access to space,” he said. “All those things that enhance our lives here... anytime you make that cheaper and you make communication cheaper, and the availability of data better, you’re helping our planet.”
WATCH: Is the billionaire space race worth it?
