So_AV0 ,_PUN the_AT0 Blue_AJ0 Origin_NN1 endeavor_NN1 that_CJT brought_VVD Amazon_NP0 founder_NN1 Jeff_NP0 Bezos_NP0 to_PRP the_AT0 soft_AJ0 edge_NN1 of_PRF space_NN1 on_PRP Tuesday_NP0 has_VHZ been_VBN costing_VVG the_AT0 centibillionaire_NN1 about_PRP $_NN0 1_CRD billion_CRD of_PRF his_DPS wealth_NN1 per_PRP year_NN1 ._SENT It_PNP bought_VVD him_PNP and_CJC the_AT0 three_CRD other_AJ0 occupants_NN2 of_PRF his_DPS capsule_NN1 10_CRD minutes_NN2 of_PRF flight_NN1 with_PRP four_CRD minutes_NN2 of_PRF weightlessness_NN1 ,_PUN during_PRP which_DTQ they_PNP did_VDD somersaults_NN2 ,_PUN snacked_VVN on_PRP slow-moving_AJ0 Skittles_NN2 and_CJC said_VVD things_NN2 like_PRP "_PUQ oh_ITJ ,_PUN wow_ITJ ._SENT "_PUQ Bezos_NP0 also_AV0 said_VVD Tuesday_NP0 that_DT0 Blue_AJ0 Origin_NN1 has_VHZ sold_VVN nearly_AV0 $_NN0 100_CRD million_CRD worth_NN1 of_PRF tickets_NN2 for_PRP future_AJ0 passenger_NN1 flights_NN2 ._SENT An_AT0 unrelated_AJ0 market_NN1 research_NN1 report_NN1 has_VHZ pegged_VVN the_AT0 global_AJ0 suborbital_AJ0 transportation_NN1 and_CJC space_NN1 tourism_NN1 market_NN1 at_PRP $_NN0 2.6_CRD billion_CRD by_PRP 2031._CRD That_DT0 would_VM0 include_VVI competing_AJ0 efforts_NN2 like_PRP that_DT0 of_PRF Virgin_NN1 Galactic_NN1 ,_PUN whose_DTQ founder_NN1 ,_PUN Richard_NP0 Branson_NP0 ,_PUN beat_VVD Bezos_NP0 to_PRP the_AT0 ultra-atmospheric_AJ0 vicinity_NN1 earlier_AV0 this_DT0 month_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC SpaceX_NN1 ,_PUN whose_DTQ founder_NN1 ,_PUN Elon_NP0 Musk_NP0 ,_PUN remains_VVZ personally_AV0 earthbound_AJ0 but_CJC has_VHZ said_VVN he_PNP wants_VVZ "_PUQ to_TO0 die_VVI on_PRP Mars_NP0 ,_PUN just_AV0 not_XX0 on_PRP impact_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ But_CJC is_VBZ there_EX0 another_DT0 point_NN1 to_PRP it_PNP ?_SENT Well_AV0 ,_PUN to_TO0 be_VBI clear_AJ0 ,_PUN Musk_NP0 does_VDZ n't_XX0 intend_VVI to_TO0 die_VVI alone_AV0 ._SENT He_PNP wants_VVZ humans_NN2 to_TO0 colonize_VVI Mars_NP0 ,_PUN partly_AV0 for_PRP the_AT0 adventure_NN1 but_CJC also_AV0 as_CJS a_AT0 sort_NN1 of_PRF insurance_NN1 policy_NN1 should_VM0 something_PNI go_VVI tragically_AV0 wrong_AJ0 on_PRP this_DT0 planet_NN1 ,_PUN whatever_DTQ in_PRP the_AT0 world_NN1 that_CJT might_VM0 be_VBI —_PUN hard_AJ0 to_TO0 imagine_VVI ._SENT But_CJC in_PRP the_AT0 more_AV0 immediate_AJ0 term_NN1 ,_PUN SpaceX_NP0 has_VHZ a_AT0 deal_NN1 with_PRP NASA_NP0 to_TO0 help_VVI land_NN1 astronauts_NN2 on_PRP the_AT0 moon_NN1 ._SENT It_PNP 's_VBZ a_AT0 new_AJ0 way_NN1 for_PRP taxpayers_NN2 to_TO0 boldly_AV0 go_VVI where_AVQ they_PNP 've_VHB gone_VVN before_AV0 ._SENT Blue_AJ0 Origin_NN1 wanted_VVD in_AVP on_PRP this_DT0 action_NN1 also_AV0 ,_PUN but_CJC was_VBD underbid_VVN ,_PUN so_CJS it_PNP did_VDD what_DTQ companies_NN2 do_VDB in_PRP the_AT0 global_AJ0 rodeo_NN1 of_PRF competitive_AJ0 business_NN1 :_PUN It_PNP filed_VVD a_AT0 protest_NN1 with_PRP the_AT0 federal_AJ0 Government_NN1 Accountability_NN1 Office_NN1 (_PUL a_AT0 decision_NN1 is_VBZ expected_VVN in_PRP August_NP0 )_PUR and_CJC lobbied_VVD Congress_NN1 to_TO0 give_VVI NASA_NP0 more_DT0 money_NN1 ,_PUN perhaps_AV0 some_DT0 of_PRF which_DTQ Blue_AJ0 Origin_NN1 might_VM0 be_VBI awarded_VVN (_PUL the_AT0 congressional_AJ0 effort_NN1 is_VBZ in_PRP bicameral_AJ0 limbo_NN1 )_PUR ._SENT But_CJC is_VBZ there_EX0 another_DT0 point_NN1 to_PRP it_PNP ?_SENT Something_PNI that_CJT could_VM0 benefit_VVI humanity_NN1 as_CJS tangibly_AV0 as_CJS other_AJ0 ideas_NN2 well-grounded_AJ0 people_NN0 might_VM0 dream_VVI up_AVP ?_SENT There_EX0 is_VBZ ,_PUN though_CJS you_PNP 'll_VM0 have_VHI to_TO0 fire_VVI up_AVP your_DPS powers_NN2 of_PRF visualization_NN1 ._SENT Just_AV0 as_CJS people_NN0 sometimes_AV0 credit_VVB government_NN1 for_PRP moving_VVG things_NN2 into_PRP the_AT0 future_NN1 —_PUN DARPA_NP0 and_CJC the_AT0 internet_NN1 pop_NN1 most_AV0 readily_AV0 to_TO0 mind_VVI ,_PUN though_CJS so_AV0 do_VDI proposals_NN2 for_PRP public_AJ0 seed_NN1 money_NN1 in_PRP areas_NN2 such_DT0 as_PRP clean_AJ0 energy_NN1 or_CJC even_AV0 social_AJ0 equity_NN1 —_PUN private_AJ0 money_NN1 possesses_VVZ that_DT0 potential_NN1 ,_PUN too_AV0 ._SENT And_CJC when_CJS it_PNP comes_VVZ to_PRP what_DTQ can_VM0 be_VBI achieved_VVN in_PRP space_NN1 ,_PUN the_AT0 U.S._NP0 government_NN1 has_VHZ been_VBN playing_VVG small_AJ0 ball_NN1 for_PRP a_AT0 while_NN1 ._SENT 
