Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company also wants to launch outside the US

In the billionaires’ space race, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is looking to expand its business by launching outside the US. The company is looking for partnerships and potential acquisitions in Europe. Bob Smith, the company’s boss, told the “Financial Times” in an interview published on Monday.

A suitable location for the international start-up is still being sought. So far, Blue Origin has built launch facilities in Florida and Texas.

Blue Origin faces stiff competition from tech billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Among other things, the two are competing for the business of launching satellites – as well as space flights with people on board. Recently, Blue Origin was awarded a contract to build a lunar lander.

SpaceX is gearing up for the second launch of its largest rocket to date, Starship. This will make launching satellites cheaper. The first attempt in April ended in an explosion.

Blue Origin’s largest rocket, named New Glenn, is now scheduled to take off for the first time in 2024 after a delay. Both companies rely at least mostly on reusable rockets.