Petitions to Stop Jeff Bezos From Returning to Earth After Space Trip Get Thousands of Signatures

Petition are calling to stop Amazon founder Jeff Bezos from returning to Earth when he goes to space with his aerospace company Blue Origin in July.

June 20, 2021

Petitions are calling to stop Amazon founder Jeff Bezos from returning to Earth when he goes to space with his aerospace company Blue Origin in July.

Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch is set to take place on July 20. Three days after Bezos announced his trip to space, two petitions calling for the billionaire’s re-entry to Earth to be stopped were launched.

According to Business Insider, more than 41,000 people have already signed the Change.org petitions.

“Billionaire’s should not exist…on earth, or in space, but should they decide the latter they should stay there,” reads one petition, titled “Do not allow Jeff Bezos to return to Earth.”

Bezos will take the 11-minute flight with his brother. The person who won the auction for a seat on Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft, which sold for $28 million, will also be on the flight.

“Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to space,” Bezos said when sharing an announcement video to Instagram earlier this month. “On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend.”

Just 15 days before embarking on the New Shepard’s first human flight as a passenger, Bezos will be be handing over the CEO title at Amazon to Andy Jassy. According to Bezos, the July 5 date was selected for this handoff to coincide with the 27th anniversary of Amazon’s incorporation.