World’s richest man launched into space on own rocket
Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, soared about 66.5 miles (107 km) above the Texas desert aboard his company Blue Origin’s New Shepard on Tuesday and returned safely to Earth.
The 57-year-old American billionaire was joined by his brother, private equity executive Mark Bezos, 82-year-old pioneering aviator, Wally Funk, and 18-year-old high school graduate, Oliver Daemen — the youngest and oldest to ever fly in space.
The fully autonomous 60-foot-tall spacecraft ignited its BE-3 engines for a vertical liftoff from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One facility about 20 miles (32 km) outside the rural town of Van Horn. There were generally clear skies with a few patchy clouds on a cool morning for the launch.
The trip lasted 10 minutes and 10 seconds.
