Jeff Bezos' May 9 unveiling of a full-size model of Blue Origin's Blue Moon lunar lander included the unveiling of updated renderings Bezos commissioned of futurist Gerard K. O’Neill's eponymous space colonies. Credit: Rachel Silverman for Blue Origin

Those who watched the full 51-minute version of Jeff Bezos’ May 9 Blue Moon announcement were treated to a tutorial on the work of Dr. Gerard K. O’Neill. In the 1970s Dr. O’Neill popularized the idea of space colonies that rotate in orbit allowing tens of thousands of inhabitants to live comfortable lives in Earth-like habitats. Bezos even commissioned updated renderings to excite the audience’s imagination.

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Steve Wolfe is president and co-founder of Beyond Earth Institute.