Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of online retail giant Amazon and space agency Blue Origin, got one step closer on Monday in catching up to his rival Richard Branson in their spaceflight ambitions. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Monday it approved a Blue Origin license to carry humans on the New Shepard launch system into space.

Former Amazon.com chief executive Jeff Bezos is set to fly to the edge of space on Blue Origin's maiden crewed voyage on July 20.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/aim-for-stars-richard-bransons-journey-from-record-store-to-space-trip-397420">‘Aim for stars’: Richard Branson's journey from record store to space trip</a>

Blue Origin is authorised to carry humans while its FAA license is valid through August and is approved to conduct these missions from its Launch Site One facility in Texas, the agency confirmed.

Blue Origin was required to verify its launch vehicle's hardware and software worked safely during a test flight and the FAA confirmed it met regulatory requirements.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/andy-jassy-officially-takes-over-from-jeff-bezos-396455">WATCH |</a>

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Blue Origin's flight will come a little over a week after space-tourism rival Virgin Galactic successfully sent a crew including its founder, British billionaire Richard Branson, to the edge of space.

Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, as well as the space firm founded by rival billionaire Elon Musk, are working to usher in a new era of routine commercial civilian space travel in what has been popularized as the "billionaire space race."

Proving rocket travel is safe for the public is key to developing what the Swiss-based investment bank UBS estimates will be a $3 billion annual space tourism market in a decade.

Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of online retail giant Amazon and space agency Blue Origin, got one step closer on Monday in catching up to his rival Richard Branson in their spaceflight ambitions.

Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of online retail giant Amazon and space agency Blue Origin, got one step closer on Monday in catching up to his rival Richard Branson in their spaceflight ambitions. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Monday it approved a Blue Origin license to carry humans on the New Shepard launch system into space. Former Amazon.com chief executive Jeff Bezos is set to fly to the edge of space on Blue Origin's maiden crewed voyage on July 20. Also read | ‘Aim for stars’: Richard Branson's journey from record store to space trip Blue Origin is authorised to carry humans while its FAA license is valid through August and is approved to conduct these missions from its Launch Site One facility in Texas, the agency confirmed. Blue Origin was required to verify its launch vehicle's hardware and software worked safely during a test flight and the FAA confirmed it met regulatory requirements. WATCH | Blue Origin's flight will come a little over a week after space-tourism rival Virgin Galactic successfully sent a crew including its founder, British billionaire Richard Branson, to the edge of space. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, as well as the space firm founded by rival billionaire Elon Musk, are working to usher in a new era of routine commercial civilian space travel in what has been popularized as the "billionaire space race." Proving rocket travel is safe for the public is key to developing what the Swiss-based investment bank UBS estimates will be a $3 billion annual space tourism market in a decade.

US approves Blue Origin license ahead of crewed voyage of Jeff Bezos

Cloud, music, AI: How Jeff Bezos turned Amazon into the 'everything store'

Just after the announcement of separation, few romantic texts sent by the CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos to American news anchor Lauren Sanchez have been leaked by The Enquirer.

Earlier this week, Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie Bezos claimed that they are getting divorced after 25 years of marriage.

Lauren Sanchez is the former co-host of 'Good Day' show.

&nbsp;Moreover, the National Enquirer has released purported texts between Bezos and Sanchez that could throw a new light to their relationship, E! News reported.

In a message obtained by the outlet, the CEO wrote, "I love you, alive girl. I will show you with my body, and my lips and my eyes, very soon."

In another text, "I want to smell you, I want to breathe you in. I want to hold you tight.. I want to kiss your lips.. I love you. I am in love with you."

However, the authenticity of messages is not yet confirmed by Jeff's team.

Further, a lawyer representing Jeff said it was "widely known" that Jeff and MacKenzie had been "long separated," E!online quoted the lawyer telling The Enquirer.

Earlier, the couple published a joint statement on Wednesday on the Amazon CEO's Twitter account stating that the two will get a divorce but continue to cherish each other as friends.

"After a long period of loving exploration and trial separation, we have decided to divorce and continue our shared lives as friends," the tweet read.

Concluding their gratitude, the couple further wrote: "We feel incredibly lucky to have found each other and deeply grateful for every one of the years we have been married to each other. If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again."

The couple also said that they are looking forward to working together as "parents, friends, partners in ventures and projects, and as individuals pursuing ventures and adventures."

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Jeff and MacKenzie have four children.&nbsp;

Just after the announcement of separation, few romantic texts sent by the CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos to American news anchor Lauren Sanchez have been leaked by The Enquirer.

Just after the announcement of separation, few romantic texts sent by the CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos to American news anchor Lauren Sanchez have been leaked by The Enquirer. Earlier this week, Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie Bezos claimed that they are getting divorced after 25 years of marriage. Lauren Sanchez is the former co-host of 'Good Day' show. Moreover, the National Enquirer has released purported texts between Bezos and Sanchez that could throw a new light to their relationship, E! News reported. In a message obtained by the outlet, the CEO wrote, "I love you, alive girl. I will show you with my body, and my lips and my eyes, very soon." In another text, "I want to smell you, I want to breathe you in. I want to hold you tight.. I want to kiss your lips.. I love you. I am in love with you." However, the authenticity of messages is not yet confirmed by Jeff's team. Further, a lawyer representing Jeff said it was "widely known" that Jeff and MacKenzie had been "long separated," E!online quoted the lawyer telling The Enquirer. Earlier, the couple published a joint statement on Wednesday on the Amazon CEO's Twitter account stating that the two will get a divorce but continue to cherish each other as friends. "After a long period of loving exploration and trial separation, we have decided to divorce and continue our shared lives as friends," the tweet read. Concluding their gratitude, the couple further wrote: "We feel incredibly lucky to have found each other and deeply grateful for every one of the years we have been married to each other. If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again." The couple also said that they are looking forward to working together as "parents, friends, partners in ventures and projects, and as individuals pursuing ventures and adventures." pic.twitter.com/Gb10BDb0x0 — Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) January 9, 2019 × Jeff and MacKenzie have four children.

Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez secret romantic texts leaked just after divorce announcement

Amazon.com Inc&#39;s billionaire founder Jeff Bezos on Thursday turned to an unusual source of inspiration for how to donate part of his wealth: Twitter.

&quot;I want much of my philanthropic activity to be helping people in the here and now - short term - at the intersection of urgent need and lasting impact,&quot; Bezos, one of the world&#39;s richest people with a net worth of more than $76 billion, said in a Twitter post.

&quot;If you have ideas, just reply to this tweet with the idea (and if you think this approach is wrong, would love to hear that too.)&quot;

The request signalled a shift for Bezos, who has invested in longer-term bets like space exploration and kept quieter about other givings.

The e-commerce executive has said he will sell about $1 billion of Amazon stock annually to fund his company Blue Origin, which aims to cut the cost of space travel and kick off entrepreneurship in the cosmos.

For philanthropy, Bezos has supported a foundation run by his parents that focuses on education. His family has also given more than $40 million to Seattle&#39;s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, not far from Amazon&#39;s headquarters.

Still, Bezos has yet to make charity a cornerstone of his work, like Microsoft Corp&#39;s Bill Gates or Facebook Inc&#39;s&nbsp;Mark Zuckerberg have. Bezos has not joined them and 167 other of the world&#39;s richest people in pledging to give more than half of their fortunes to philanthropy.

Asked in an interview with Charlie Rose last year if he one day would rival Gates&#39; magnanimity, Bezos joked, &quot;Well, yeah, if there is anything left after I finish building Blue Origin.&quot;

His Twitter post had generated nearly 4,000 replies within three hours.

Recommendations ranged from food programs for children, to protecting forests and fighting homelessness.

&quot;Repurpose shipping containers to provide micro-homes for the homeless,&quot; tweeted journalist and analyst John Koetsier. &quot;Give them a safe, dry place to sleep, then work on further needs.&quot;

The request signalled a shift for Bezos, who has invested in longer-term bets like space exploration and kept quieter about other givings

Amazon.com Inc's billionaire founder Jeff Bezos on Thursday turned to an unusual source of inspiration for how to donate part of his wealth: Twitter. "I want much of my philanthropic activity to be helping people in the here and now - short term - at the intersection of urgent need and lasting impact," Bezos, one of the world's richest people with a net worth of more than $76 billion, said in a Twitter post. "If you have ideas, just reply to this tweet with the idea (and if you think this approach is wrong, would love to hear that too.)" The request signalled a shift for Bezos, who has invested in longer-term bets like space exploration and kept quieter about other givings. The e-commerce executive has said he will sell about $1 billion of Amazon stock annually to fund his company Blue Origin, which aims to cut the cost of space travel and kick off entrepreneurship in the cosmos. For philanthropy, Bezos has supported a foundation run by his parents that focuses on education. His family has also given more than $40 million to Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, not far from Amazon's headquarters. Still, Bezos has yet to make charity a cornerstone of his work, like Microsoft Corp's Bill Gates or Facebook Inc's Mark Zuckerberg have. Bezos has not joined them and 167 other of the world's richest people in pledging to give more than half of their fortunes to philanthropy. Asked in an interview with Charlie Rose last year if he one day would rival Gates' magnanimity, Bezos joked, "Well, yeah, if there is anything left after I finish building Blue Origin." His Twitter post had generated nearly 4,000 replies within three hours. Recommendations ranged from food programs for children, to protecting forests and fighting homelessness. "Repurpose shipping containers to provide micro-homes for the homeless," tweeted journalist and analyst John Koetsier. "Give them a safe, dry place to sleep, then work on further needs."

Amazon CEO Bezos asks Twitter followers how to donate his money

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US approves Blue Origin license ahead of crewed voyage of Jeff Bezos

Cloud, music, AI: How Jeff Bezos turned Amazon into the 'everything store'

Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez secret romantic texts leaked just after divorce announcement

Amazon CEO Bezos asks Twitter followers how to donate his money