Jeff Bezos lands safely after brief trip to space with Blue Origin
Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, is now an astronaut.
The Amazon founder, 57, blasted off in his New Shepard rocket at 9:12 a.m. ET Tuesday from West Texas on his company Blue Origin’s first commercial flight.
“Best day ever!” said Bezos, who was strapped into seat No. 6, after completing his dream-come-true trip.
Pairing his spacesuit with a cowboy hat, an exuberant Bezos climbed out of the capsule to embrace his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, with the buzzing crowd popping champagne bottles in celebration.
He was followed out of the aircraft by his younger brother, 53-year-old Mark Bezos, whom he invited on the trip.
The Bezos brothers were joined on the out-of-this-world trip by fellow crew members Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old recent high school graduate from the Netherlands, and 82-year-old space pioneer Wally Funk — who made history becoming the youngest and oldest to ever soar into space.
Less than 10 minutes after takeoff, the rocket’s capsule separated from its reusable booster, allowing the crew to enjoy a few minutes of weightlessness before parachuting back to the ground.
As they hurtled farther into the sky, the astronauts could be heard marveling at the stunning view from above.
“Woo! Woo! Woo! Wow!” the crew could be heard saying after liftoff. “Look out the window!”
“It’s dark up here!” Funk could be heard exclaiming.
Another chimed in, “You have a happy crew up here — I want you to know.”
The trip lasted just over 10 minutes and reached 66.5 miles.
After the pod landed safely in a field in Texas, the control room operator told the newly minted astronauts, “Welcome back to Earth … congratulations to all of you.”
The crew rolled up to the launch pad in an electric truck built by Rivian, high-fiving bystanders along the way — then climbed the stairs to the top of the rocket.
As they strapped into their seats, Funk could be seen waving to bystanders, while Mark flashed a thumbs up.
“Wally! Push the button!” one of the crew members could be heard saying to Funk during a check with the communications team.
Christina Bezos also shared a message to her two space-bound brothers ahead of the flight.
“Steve and I are so excited for this monumental launch. Jeff, this is something you’ve dreamed of your whole life and your passion for space is infectious. Mark, you’re the best champion in encouraging us in our adventures … Now hurry up and get your asses back down here so I can give you a huge hug. We love you and Godspeed New Shepard,” said the note, which was read aloud from the control room.
Blue Origin’s fully automated rocket is expected to take them to an altitude of roughly 66 miles, hurtling at speeds upwards of 2,200 miles per hour.
The rocket cannot be piloted from inside the spacecraft and will have none of the company’s staff astronauts or trained personnel on the flight.
The mission began at the company’s facilities in the desert town of Van Horn.
About two hours before liftoff, Blue Origin tweeted that New Shepard was “on the pad” and ready to go.
“The launch team completed vehicle rollout this morning and final preparations are underway,” the post said.
Bezos will be the second in the “billionaire space race” to take off in his own rocket, following Virgin Group founder Richard Branson’s flight on July 11.
His mission, however, took him more than 10 miles higher than Branson’s flight from New Mexico.
Branson tweeted his well wishes to Bezos and his team shortly after their brief jaunt.
“Well done @blueorigin, @jeffbezos, Mark, Wally and Oliver. Impressive! Very best to all the crew from me and all the team at @virgingalactic,” he wrote.
New Shepard rockets have taken 15 successful test flights to space — without people on board — since 2015.
Following the mission’s success, the company plans to host two more passenger flights by the end of the year.
