Earlier today, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and one of the wealthiest individuals globally, accomplished his long-planned goal of traveling to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. Though he did not secure the title of the first billionaire in space, being preceded by Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic, this voyage remains a significant achievement for commercial space exploration.
In the morning around 9:00 AM, the New Shepard rocket took off from its launch site in western Texas with Bezos, his brother Mark, former test pilot Wally Funk (who at 82 years old set a new record as the oldest person in space), and recent high school graduate Oliver Daemen (who at 18 years old set a new record as the youngest person in space). As the rocket ascended, it reached an altitude of 250,000 feet, where the capsule detached from the booster.
At this point, right on the border between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space, the passengers experienced approximately four minutes of weightlessness. Subsequently, the capsule safely descended back to Earth using parachutes and landed in the desert of Texas. Upon touching down, Bezos radioed the control tower, expressing, “Best day ever.”
This successful manned spaceflight by Blue Origin marks a significant milestone, positioning the company as a formidable contender alongside Virgin Galactic and SpaceX in the realm of commercial space exploration. These enterprises are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the future landscape of space travel.
This is the moment Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, lifted off into space aboard his Blue Origin spacecraft. https://t.co/FYxACjTzz3 pic.twitter.com/QIacxYNzPP
— CNN International (@cnni) July 20, 2021
“These individuals are embarking on endeavors they believe are essential for the future of humanity, and this is only the beginning,” remarked Jim Cantrell, former SpaceX executive and current CEO of Phantom Space, to NBC.
“Entrepreneurs have played a significant role in addressing many challenges on Earth,” he added. “Society should embrace this spirit of exploration, as it mirrors the same mindset that has led to breakthroughs in medicine and disease treatments.”
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