Van Horn, US, Jul 20 (EFE).- Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, on Tuesday flew to space aboard his rocket ship the New Shepard, a journey that took him 106 kilometers (65 miles) above the surface of Earth.
Bezos was joined by his brother Mark, 82-year-old veteran aviator Wally Funk and Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old Dutch student, son of a multi-billionaire.
The capsule was launched from Van Horn, Texas at 08:00 am local time, and separated from the booster at an altitude of 76km. The spacecraft traveled the remaining 30km to reach a peak where the lack of gravity would allow the passengers a few minutes of floating time.
Following the short voyage to the edge of space, the capsule came back down to the deserted landscape around Van Horn aided by three large parachutes.
Bezos’ journey differed from that of fellow billionaire Richard Branson last week as the Amazon founder’s spaceship traveled above the Kármán line 99.7 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, accepted by many in the scientific community as the border between Earth’s atmosphere and space.
Branson flew to an altitude of 80 kilometers in his spaceship, built by Virgin Galactic.
Elon Musk SpaceX has already sent astronauts to the International Space Station, although has no concrete plans to send himself to the edge of space. EFE
Text and photo courtesy of EFE
