Jeff Bezos, founder of Blue Origin, said he does not believe SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will exploit his close relationship with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to gain an advantage over Blue Origin in the space industry.

Speaking to Reuters on Sunday, Bezos expressed optimism about the incoming administration’s space policies.

“Elon has been very clear that he’s doing this for the public interest and not for his personal gain. And I take him at face value,” Bezos said in an interview at Cape Canaveral, Florida. He was there to witness the debut launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, a 30-story-tall vehicle poised to challenge SpaceX’s dominance in the satellite launch market.

Musk, who invested over $250 million in efforts to elect Trump, has reportedly influenced the president-elect’s stance on space exploration. Last month, Musk advocated for skipping lunar missions in favor of direct trips to Mars, raising concerns about potential disruptions to NASA’s space exploration plans.

When asked about these proposed changes, Bezos struck a balanced tone. “My own opinion is that we should do both—we need to go to the moon and we should go to Mars. What we shouldn’t do is start and stop things. We should continue with the lunar program for sure,” he said.

The Trump administration’s second term is anticipated to bring significant shifts in NASA’s focus, potentially prioritizing Mars over the moon. However, Bezos remains committed to his vision of lunar exploration. Blue Origin, founded in 2000, holds a $3 billion contract with NASA to land humans on the moon later this decade, following SpaceX’s Starship missions.

Although Bezos has met with Trump, he said space was not a topic of their discussions. Amazon, the company Bezos founded, has donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund and plans to stream the event on its Prime Video platform.

As Blue Origin gears up for its long-delayed entry into the satellite launch market, Bezos expressed confidence in the broader space industry. He emphasized the importance of continuity and collaboration, adding, “I feel very optimistic about the space agenda moving forward.”

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket marks a significant milestone in its efforts to challenge SpaceX, a company that has become a juggernaut in the space sector. Whether Bezos and Musk’s companies remain rivals or collaborators, the future of U.S. space exploration promises to be dynamic and ambitious.