Jeff Bezos wonders how going to space is 'going to change me'

Jeff Bezos is getting ready to blast off.
The Amazon founder on Tuesday will fly to space on his company Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, and Bezos and his fellow passengers gave a series of interviews Monday ahead of the trip.
"I don't know what it's going to mean for me," Bezos told Good Morning America. "Everybody who's been to space says it changes them in some way, and I'm just really excited to figure out how it's going to change me."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On CBS This Morning, Bezos said he's "excited" and "curious," but "not really nervous" about the trip, something host Gayle King found hard to believe, asking "How is that possible, Jeff?" But Bezos said the team feels "really good" about the trip, which according to CNN will last about 11 minutes. The Amazon founder will be joined by his brother, Mark Bezos, as well as 18-year-old Oliver Daemen and 82-year-old Wally Funk, who according to Blue Origin will be the "youngest and oldest astronauts to travel to space."
The flight will come after billionaire Richard Branson's recent spaceflight, and in a CNN interview, Bezos was asked to respond to critics who are slamming these trips as "joyrides for the wealthy" and want billionaires to focus on solving problems on Earth.
"They're largely right," Bezos responded. "We have to do both. We have lots of problems in the here and now on Earth, and we need to work on those, and we need to look to the future."
Bezos' trip also comes just weeks after he officially stepped down as Amazon CEO, but he told CNN the flight wasn't the reason for that timing.
"I could have done this flight as CEO of Amazon and it would have been fine," he told CNN. "We really believe this flight is safe." Bezos' flight is set for Tuesday morning.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
How to create a healthy 'germier' home
Under The Radar Exposure to a broad range of microbes can enhance our immune system, especially during childhood
-
George Floyd: Did Black Lives Matter fail?
Feature The momentum for change fades as the Black Lives Matter Plaza is scrubbed clean
-
National debt: Why Congress no longer cares
Feature Rising interest rates, tariffs and Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill could sent the national debt soaring
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect