Story at a glance
- Jeff Bezos’s space company Blue Origin has received federal approval to launch its New Shepard rocket into space on July 20.
- The former Amazon CEO’s rocket will launch from Van Horn, Texas, for an 11-minute flight that is reportedly expected to reach an altitude of nearly 66 miles.
- Bezos, who founded Blue Origin in 2000, left his role at Amazon last week.
Jeff Bezos’s space company Blue Origin has received federal approval to launch its New Shepard rocket into space on July 20.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a license, good through August, to carry Bezos and his brother, Mark, out of the earth’s atmosphere, The Associated Press reported. Wally Funk, a graduate of the 1960s Mercury 13 program, and an unnamed auction winner, will join the pair on the flight. Funk will become the oldest person to fly to space.
“In 1961, Wally Funk was at the top of her class as part of the ‘Mercury 13’ Woman in Space Program,” Bezos wrote in an Instagram post announcing Funk’s addition. “Despite completing their training, the program was cancelled, and none of the thirteen flew.”
“It’s time. Welcome to the crew, Wally. We’re excited to have you fly with us on July 20th as our honored guest,” Bezos concluded.
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The former Amazon CEO’s rocket will launch from Van Horn, Texas, for an 11-minute flight that is reportedly expected to reach an altitude of nearly 66 miles.
Fellow billionaire and space tech CEO Richard Branson and his crew — Virgin Galactic employees Beth Moses, Colin Bennett, Sirisha Bandla and pilots Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci — flew in Spaceship Two, which was attached to a mothership.
The White Night Two mothership climbed to an altitude of about 50,000 feet before the winged SpaceShipTwo detached and took off. Branson and his crew spent nearly 5 minutes afloat in the vessel’s cabin, viewing the earth from an additional 50 miles above.
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Branson’s mission secured his victory in a so-called space race with Bezos, although before the flight, Branson said a rumored rivalry between the two billionaires is virtually nonexistent.
“I know nobody will believe me when I say it, but honestly, there isn’t,” Branson said.
Bezos, who founded Blue Origin in 2000, left his role at Amazon last week.
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