Blue Origin is set to launch its first passenger spaceflight on Tuesday, carrying founder Jeff Bezos and three other passengers for a journey to experience the weightlessness of suborbital space.
The 57-year-old Amazon founder will be accompanied by his brother Mark Bezos, 53, aerospace pioneer Wally Funk, 82, and Dutch teenager Oliver Daemen, 18. Together, they will launch to the skies from a spaceport in Van Horn, Texas, ascending above 100 kilometers (328,000 feet).
Blue Origin’s broadcast was scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. EDT, with a target launch time of 9 a.m.
RICHARD BRANSON OF VIRGIN GALACTIC BECOMES FIRST BILLIONAIRE IN SPACE
#NewShepard is on the pad. The launch team completed vehicle rollout this morning and final preparations are underway. Liftoff is targeted for 8:00 am CDT / 13:00 UTC. Live broadcast begins at T-90 minutes on https://t.co/7Y4TherpLr. #NSFirstHumanFlight pic.twitter.com/oShmtRmA4n
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) July 20, 2021
Bezos’s flight comes nine days after Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson made history as the first billionaire in space, climbing to heights of nearly 300,000 feet, just under the expected range of Blue Origin’s flight.
