PRIME SPACE: Bezos in Cape Canaveral SPACE PODULE debut

Online stuff-hurling biz lord Jeff Bezos is to move into ORBITAL deliveries, it has been announced, setting up a mighty space podule-plex in a disused NASA facility on Florida's Cape Canaveral. Florida governor Rick Scott stood side by side with the Amazon bigcheese at the project's unveiling earlier today. In addition to …

[Alistair]

Bezos

Will be spending a *whole* lot of money before *anything* launches from there - Major overhaul required for just about every system there.

[Ugotta B. Kiddingme]

yeah, but...

he'll still be spending significantly less there than anywhere which doesn't already have the gantries and other hardware/infrastructure. The savings in concrete alone would be substantial.

Add to the the "generous donation" from the people of Florida (in the form of tax breaks and other incentives) and it's pretty clearly an easy decision.

Ultimately, this could potentially be good news for everyone. Competition generally benefits all and helps keep costs reasonably in check.

[Alan Brown]

Re: yeah, but...

"Competition generally benefits all and helps keep costs reasonably in check."

Unless you're Boeing. Which is why they're fighting the newcomers so hard politically instead of adjusting to competition in the marketplace.

[Michael H.F. Wilkinson]

Is a commercial space race hotting up?

Could be interesting. I will watch (this) space with interest

[Joe User]

About that picture....

Is it just me, or does that look like a dildo rocketing off the launch pad?

[Bluto Nash]

Re: About that picture....

Just need a giant "Sponsored by AstroGlide" banner there.

[Your alien overlord - fear me]

$160 million project - Florida has given him at least $40 mill of their taxpayers money..

Now here's a thought, if Amazon launches a satelite, declares it their tax domicle (like gravity, it'll be zero rated), will that annoy Apple and the other tax dodgers?

[Anonymous Coward]

Wonder if he'll opt for Prime delivery

Fucking detest having Amazon bloody Prime rammed down my throat

[Martin Budden]

Re: Wonder if he'll opt for Prime delivery

Me too. I don't even live in a country where Prime is available yet I still get pestered ffs.

[Mike Flugennock]

I can't help it, but...

...I keep seeing the Blue Origin launch vehicle as a giant rocket-powered dildo. Did Bezos do this on purpose?

[Bluto Nash]

Re: I can't help it, but...

Similar to a Steely Dan, perhaps?

But yeah, "Rocket Powered Dildo" was absolutely the first thing I thought when I saw it. I mean, fins aren't really necessary, but they make it LOOK LIKE A ROCKET fergawdssake.

[PJF]

ANOTHER Tax evation tactic

So, how much did Amazon stuff in the brown bag?!

[Andy The Hat]

330 new positions ...

That's probably enough for the plastic models of the craft to be sold on Amazon and routine maintenance for the site but what about the staff for the manufacture of 'the fleet of ...'? Presumably they're ordered for next-day delivery via Prime through a reseller on amazon.cn and will therefore not be subject to local sales tax or corporate tax?