Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will send 100,000 postcards written by students from the United Arab Emirates into space, accompanied by a stamp that reads "Fly into Space."
To celebrate the UAE's Golden Jubilee, the children painted their vision for the next 50 years of the rich country on postcards. These include futuristic cars, traveling to the moon, landing on Mars, and planting a flag on another planet.
Amazon billionaire space tourism company New Shepard's suborbital flight plans to bring photos of children into space next year.
Since 2019, the nonprofit Future Blue Origin Club Foundation has been flying postcards written by students around the world using its reusable launch vehicles.
Now, the Emirates Post Group, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, the UAE Space Agency and AzurX (an innovative and strategic company based in Dubai that supports opportunities in the space sector) are working with the Foundation to engage with Emirates on a large scale.
"As the regional representative of the UAE and Blue Origin, it is an honour to bring together the UAE government and international private entities to launch the Postcard Space Initiative at this important time of the UAE Jubilee, inspiring young people to look beyond the big picture and boldly look forward to the next 50 years of the nation's departure from outer space." Anna Hazlett, the founder of AzurX, quoted The National News on Dec. 8.
Postcard to Space Initiative. (Source: Beam Education via National News)
Participating schools include the International Academy of Creative Sciences in Muwalai, Sharjah and the Al Mawakeb School in Al Garhoud, Dubai.
Emirati astronaut Hazena Al Mansouri, the first Emiratis to go into space and Sultan Al Neyadi, made a surprise visit to the school while the students decorated their postcards.
"We are working with our international partners on a range of initiatives to inspire future generations to build awareness of the space sector and the ecosystem around it that can and is likely to be part of future generations."
"The future of space careers is our goal.
Billionaire Jeff Bezos announced the education program in May 2019, saying it aims to inspire young people to think about the future of space.
In the first set of postcards, students around the world were asked to write down their dreams for the future.
Later that year, private space companies sent them into space along with other cargoes and then sent them back.
It is unclear whether the postcards of UAE students will be single or double flights, but a set of postcards will be delivered during the 2022 space flight.
Blue Origin has sent eight people into space and is building its own presence in the UAE.
AzurX is working with Blue Origin to develop its localization strategy. It will also help customers with space tourism flights and opportunities aboard Orbital Reef, a private space station announced by Blue Origin.
In October, Blue Origin and the UAE's Ministry of Economy agreed to develop a plan that would accelerate the ministry's economic development ambitions through space activities, including space tourism.
On Dec. 9, Blue Origin sent six more passengers into space, including Alan Shepard, america's first astronaut, and Laura Shepard Churchley, daughter of former American football star Michael Strahan.