>>4451664 (lb)

The "billionare space race" concept seems overblown. They're aiming at different goals in space.

Virgin Galactic / Branson is aiming at pop-up tourist flights - like tossing a ball in the air, but really high so the high point of the trajectory is actually into outer space. Visiting space.

Blue Origin / Bezos is aiming at in-space development, like factories in permanent orbit around the Earth, or perhaps situated in deeper space. Living in space.

SpaceX / Musk is aiming at developing cities on Mars. His architecture design is building the pieces needed to settle there. Living on another planet.

We think "space race" because of the memetic imprint of Apollo and US/USSR competition. But that history doesn't mean all space adventures are races in that sense. These entrants are going in different directions.

There can be PR "races" to particular landmarks that get press, but I doubt that really matters (except to the press, which likes the billing.)

There can be overlap - SpaceX uses Earth orbit customers as a stepping stone for building their Mars transport system, which kind of walks through the area of space that's of natural interest to Blue Origin.

But the goals of these three are distinctly different.

>>4452463

There are ways to explore what's under the crust without going there and actually getting a physical sample. How earthquake waves pass through, looking at the magnetic field of the planet (which sources from down there), checking out samples of materials that got pushed up in hot spot volcanoes, etc. Not as easy as working with surface rocks, but not impossible either. It's like assembling a puzzle based on the clues.