- Blue Origin intends to send tourists beyond the so-called Kerman Line.
- Billionaire’s race for space is big business.
- The trip is the culmination of Bezos’ 20-year journey with his company, Blue Origin.
Billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and the crew of a New Shepherd rocket blasted off Tuesday from the West Texas desert bound for space and glory and returned safely to Earth about 11 minutes later.
“Congratulations to all Team Blue members past and present on reaching this historic moment in spaceflight history. This crew of astronauts wrote themselves in their space history books, opening the door that many will go through next.” Bezos space tourism company Blue Origin tweeted.
The crew got stunning views of Earth from space with three or four minutes of weightlessness before returning. The booster rocket fell smoothly about seven minutes after takeoff. The craft containing the astronauts parachuted down a few minutes later.
Not only did Bezos launch a quick flight into space, he launched what the world’s richest man hopes will be a lucrative business. Blue Origin is planning two more trips this year alone. Tuesday’s flight marked the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Richard Branson and his crew on Virgin Galactic blasted historic to the edge of space last week. Bezos and his team Blue Origin They say they violated that day.
It’s New Shepard’s 16th flight but the first to include people. Bezos and Blue Origin were somewhat dismissive Branson’s trip nine days ago, saying that Virgin Galactic’s highest altitude of 53.5 miles has not reached real space.
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NASA, the Air Force, the Federal Aviation Administration, and some astrophysicists consider the boundary between the atmosphere and space to begin at an altitude of 50 miles. So passengers on Virgin Galactic cruises, which can reach a maximum altitude of about 55 miles, would earn astronaut wings.
blue origin intends to send tourists About 66 miles. This is beyond the so-called Karman Line, which lies 62 miles above the Earth’s surface and is recognized by most international aeronautics and space associations as the space threshold.
Blue Origin tweeted before Branson’s flight: “Only 4% of the world’s population recognizes a minimum of 80 km or 50 miles as the beginning of space.” “New Shepard flies above both limits. One of the many benefits of flying with Blue Origin.”
Billionaire’s race for space is big business. Blue Origin employs thousands across many states and universities. Virgin Galactic has over 800 employees. Both companies hope to eventually sell tickets for $200,000 per seat or more.
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New Shepard, a fully automated 60-foot rocket and capsule, is primarily designed for space tourism thanks to its robotic flight systems, large windows, and modern interior design. After takeoff, the crane returns to the facility for a vertical landing while the capsule briefly floats in space, then makes contact near the launch site with the help of parachutes.
Branson, 71, and a crew of three pilots and mission specialists were flown to an altitude of more than eight miles by plane, VMS Eve, named after Branson’s mother. Next, live video showed the launch of the VSS Unity space plane from between the twin fuselages of the mother ship, using the power of the rocket to fly to the somewhat contested frontier of space.
Like Branson, Bezos, 57, is giving his New Shepard the ultimate endorsement after becoming the first to fly it. Also on board was his brother Mark, a longtime advocate for women in space Mary Wallace “Wally” Funkand Oliver Damon, Actual winner of the auction For the fourth seat of the capsule. Funk, 82, will be the oldest person in space. Damon, 18, was the youngest.
“It was just magic”:The Virgin Galactic space plane carrying Richard Branson has reached the edge of space, and is returning safely
For Bezos, the $177 billion Amazon founder, the short trip was the culmination of a 20-year journey with his company, Blue Origin. The trip was the company’s most iconic and defining moment.
Mark Bezos, 53, is a businessman and volunteer firefighter with the Scarsdale Fire Department in Scarsdale, New York. Jeff Bezos said he considers his brother his biggest and closest friend. Funk is best known for her role in “Mercury 13,” a group of women who underwent privately funded and informal astronaut training in the 1960s but were not selected to fly on NASA missions.
“I never thought I’d go up,” Funk said after Bezos picked her up for the trip.
Damen, a physics student from the Netherlands, was the runner-up in an auction for the seat. The first place winner, who placed a whopping $28 million bid, chose to remain anonymous and flies into the future New Shepard mission instead. Damon’s father, Joes, is the founder of Dutch hedge fund Somerset Capital Partners.
“I’m so excited to go into space,” he said. “I’ve been dreaming about this my whole life.”
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