Blue Origin's Jeff Bezos and crew have successfully launched. But what does this mean for us?
Blue Origin has successfully launched its first human flight on 20 July 2021 with its founder Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, aviator Wally Funk and bid winner Oliver Daeman on board the New Shepard rocket.
How far has New Shepard gone?
The short flight lasted just over 10 minutes, including liftoff and landing.
The New Shepard rocket took off vertically, lifting off from Blue Origin's private Launch Site One in Texas around 9am ET (9pm PHT). The spacecraft passed the Kármán Line, the "imaginary boundary" that is internationally recognised as the boundary of space. Flying past this boundary has made the crew aboard the spacecraft officially astronauts.
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What was so historical about it?
82-year old Wally Funk, who was the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, is now the first oldest person to reach space. It was also a memorable experience for Funk, who was a member of Mercury 13, a group of exemplary female pilots who were planning to travel to space, as NASA wouldn't accept the program at the time.
Oliver Daeman, who purchased a ticket to fly to space, became the first youngest person to travel to space. The unnamed auction winner chosen by Blue Origin was supposed to join the historical mission. However, due to conflicting schedules, their spot was taken by the 18-year-old Dutch student.
