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Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and three passengers react to the historic launch aboard the New Shepard.
As Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos launched into space on Tuesday aboard a Blue Origin rocket, and back on Earth, a Democratic lawmaker announced a measure to tax commercial space flights.
Oregon Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer, who is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced what he calls the Carbon Emissions Shields Safety Act (SPACE) on Tuesday, which would create excise taxes on commercial space flights carrying human passengers. for purposes other than scientific research.
“Space travel is not a tax-free vacation for the rich,” Blumenauer wrote on Twitter. “We pay taxes on airline tickets. Billionaires who fly in space – producing no scientific value – should do the same, and more.”
RICHARD BRANSON CONGRATULATES JEFF BEZOS ON THE SPACE FLIGHT
The measure would include a tax per passenger on the price of a commercial flight to space and a two-tier excise tax for each launch into space. The first level would apply to flights between 50 miles and 80 miles above the earth’s surface, while the second “significantly higher” rate would apply to flights over 80 miles above the surface. of the earth.
Blumenauer noted that space flights represent 60 times more carbon emissions than transatlantic flights per passenger.
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As previously reported by FOX Business, Bezos flew into space on Tuesday for an approximately 10-minute flight.
Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson launched into space just over a week ago.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, another billionaire in the space industry, wished Bezos good luck ahead of its launch.
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Progressive Democrats have criticized billionaires for focusing on space exploration when Americans lack access to necessary resources.
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