The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has halted its&nbsp;work on a $2.9 billion lunar lander contract awarded to Elon Musk's SpaceX after rival billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin sued the US government.

Blue Origin had filed a lawsuit&nbsp;claiming that it was&nbsp;"an attempt to remedy the flaws in the acquisition process found in&nbsp;NASA's Human Landing System."

A&nbsp;judge has set the hearing on the case on&nbsp;October 14 as per&nbsp;the US&nbsp;Court of Federal Claims.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/elon-musk-announces-humanoid-robot-tesla-bot-that-uses-artificial-intelligence-407062" hreflang="en">Elon Musk announces humanoid robot Tesla Bot that uses artificial intelligence</a>

NASA&nbsp;said in a statement it paused work with SpaceX on the human landing system through November&nbsp;1.

"In exchange for this temporary stay of work, all parties agreed to an expedited litigation schedule that concludes on Nov. 1," the US&nbsp;space agency said.

"NASA&nbsp;officials are continuing to work with the Department of Justice to review the details of the case and look forward to a timely resolution of this matter."

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/who-is-winning-space-tourism-race-between-bezos-branson-and-musk-396420" hreflang="en">Who is winning space tourism race between Bezos, Branson and Musk?</a>

The US&nbsp;Government Accountability Office (GAO) last month sided with&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;over its decision to pick a single lunar lander provider, rejecting Blue Origin's protest.

SpaceX, headed by Tesla Inc's CEO Musk, this week intervened in the lawsuit to ensure that the court "has a complete and accurate picture of the facts and circumstances surrounding this protest, including the substantial harm that SpaceX will suffer if the court grants the relief sought" by Blue Origin.

Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Amazon.com Inc's founder Bezos, has said it remains convinced there were "fundamental issues" with&nbsp;NASA's decision and that the GAO was not able to address them "due to their limited jurisdiction."

NASA had sought proposals for a spacecraft that would carry astronauts to the lunar surface under its Artemis program to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972.

The space agency said on Thursday it "is committed to Artemis and to maintaining the nation's global leadership in space exploration. With our partners, we will go to the moon and stay to enable science investigations, develop new technology, and create high-paying jobs for the greater good and in preparation to send astronauts to Mars."

In April,&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;awarded SpaceX a contract to build such a spacecraft as early as 2024.

(With inputs from agencies)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has halted its work on a $2.9 billion lunar lander contract awarded to Elon Musk's SpaceX after rival billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin sued the US government.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has halted its work on a $2.9 billion lunar lander contract awarded to Elon Musk's SpaceX after rival billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin sued the US government. Blue Origin had filed a lawsuit claiming that it was "an attempt to remedy the flaws in the acquisition process found in NASA's Human Landing System." A judge has set the hearing on the case on October 14 as per the US Court of Federal Claims. Also read | Elon Musk announces humanoid robot Tesla Bot that uses artificial intelligence NASA said in a statement it paused work with SpaceX on the human landing system through November 1. "In exchange for this temporary stay of work, all parties agreed to an expedited litigation schedule that concludes on Nov. 1," the US space agency said. "NASA officials are continuing to work with the Department of Justice to review the details of the case and look forward to a timely resolution of this matter." Also see | Who is winning space tourism race between Bezos, Branson and Musk? The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) last month sided with NASA over its decision to pick a single lunar lander provider, rejecting Blue Origin's protest. SpaceX, headed by Tesla Inc's CEO Musk, this week intervened in the lawsuit to ensure that the court "has a complete and accurate picture of the facts and circumstances surrounding this protest, including the substantial harm that SpaceX will suffer if the court grants the relief sought" by Blue Origin. Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Amazon.com Inc's founder Bezos, has said it remains convinced there were "fundamental issues" with NASA's decision and that the GAO was not able to address them "due to their limited jurisdiction." NASA had sought proposals for a spacecraft that would carry astronauts to the lunar surface under its Artemis program to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972. The space agency said on Thursday it "is committed to Artemis and to maintaining the nation's global leadership in space exploration. With our partners, we will go to the moon and stay to enable science investigations, develop new technology, and create high-paying jobs for the greater good and in preparation to send astronauts to Mars." In April, NASA awarded SpaceX a contract to build such a spacecraft as early as 2024. (With inputs from agencies)

Bezos vs Musk: NASA halts SpaceX work on lunar lander after Blue Origin lawsuit

A US&nbsp;agency on Friday rejected a protest by Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics Inc over NASA`s decision to pick a single lunar lander provider. 
 
The companies challenged the $2.9 billion award to SpaceX for the lander, arguing NASA was required to make multiple awards.

The US&nbsp;Government Accountability Office (GAO) said it "denied the protest arguments that NASA acted improperly in making a single award to SpaceX." 
 
Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, did not immediately comment. It had contended NASA gave SpaceX an unfair advantage by letting it revise its pricing. Dynetics, a unit of Leidos Holdings, also did not immediately comment. 
 
On Monday, Bezos offered to cover up to $2 billion in NASA costs if the US&nbsp;space agency awarded Blue Origin a contract to make a spacecraft designed to land astronauts back on the moon. 
 
In April, NASA awarded rival billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk`s SpaceX a deal to build a spacecraft to bring astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2024. 
 
In a letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Bezos said Blue Origin would waive payments up to $2 billion, and pay for an orbital mission to vet its technology. In exchange, Blue Origin would accept a firm, fixed-priced contract, and cover any system development cost overruns. 
 
"Without competition, NASA`s short-term and long-term lunar ambitions will be delayed, will ultimately cost more, and won`t serve the national interest," Bezos added. 
 
Before choosing SpaceX, NASA sought proposals for a spacecraft that would carry astronauts to the lunar surface under its Artemis program to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972. 
 
Bezos` offer came six days after he flew alongside three crewmates to the edge of space aboard Blue Origin`s rocket-and-capsule New Shepard. 
 
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio) 
&nbsp;

A US agency on Friday rejected a protest by Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics Inc over NASA`s decision to pick a single lunar lander provider. The companies challenged the $2.

A US agency on Friday rejected a protest by Blue Origin and defense contractor Dynetics Inc over NASA`s decision to pick a single lunar lander provider. The companies challenged the $2.9 billion award to SpaceX for the lander, arguing NASA was required to make multiple awards. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) said it "denied the protest arguments that NASA acted improperly in making a single award to SpaceX." Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, did not immediately comment. It had contended NASA gave SpaceX an unfair advantage by letting it revise its pricing. Dynetics, a unit of Leidos Holdings, also did not immediately comment. On Monday, Bezos offered to cover up to $2 billion in NASA costs if the US space agency awarded Blue Origin a contract to make a spacecraft designed to land astronauts back on the moon. In April, NASA awarded rival billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk`s SpaceX a deal to build a spacecraft to bring astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2024. In a letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Bezos said Blue Origin would waive payments up to $2 billion, and pay for an orbital mission to vet its technology. In exchange, Blue Origin would accept a firm, fixed-priced contract, and cover any system development cost overruns. "Without competition, NASA`s short-term and long-term lunar ambitions will be delayed, will ultimately cost more, and won`t serve the national interest," Bezos added. Before choosing SpaceX, NASA sought proposals for a spacecraft that would carry astronauts to the lunar surface under its Artemis program to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972. Bezos` offer came six days after he flew alongside three crewmates to the edge of space aboard Blue Origin`s rocket-and-capsule New Shepard. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)

US agency denies Blue Origin protest over NASA lunar lander contract

Oliver Daemen, a&nbsp;Dutch teenager who became the world's youngest space traveller this week surprised billionaire Jeff Bezos on the inaugural flight by his exploration company Blue Origin by telling him he's never ordered anything on Amazon.com.

Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old physics student, accompanied Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos and 82-year-old female aviator Wally Funk, the oldest person to go to space, on a 10-minute trip beyond Earth's atmosphere.

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Bezos funded Blue Origin by selling billions worth of stock in his highly profitable online delivery business Amazon.

"I told Jeff, like, I've actually never bought something from Amazon," he said&nbsp;in an interview on Friday&nbsp;at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. "And he was like, 'oh, wow, it's a long time ago I heard someone say that."

Blue Origin had&nbsp;released footage of the newly minted astronauts performing somersaults in near-zero gravity and throwing Skittles which Dutch teen&nbsp;Oliver&nbsp;Daemen&nbsp;caught in his mouth.

Daemen, who was picked after another candidate bidding $28 million for the ride cancelled at the last minute, got the good news while on a family holiday in Italy.

"So I flew from Italy to Amsterdam, from Amsterdam to Atlanta, from Atlanta to El Paso, from El Paso to the ranch, so it was quite a long trip," he said.

Daemen had dreamt of space travel since he was a kid, followed every development by space exploration companies like Blue Origin and got his pilot's license at a young age.

Daemen's ticket was paid for by his father, the CEO of a private equity firm, CNBC reported.

He plans to attend the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands to study physics and innovation management this September.

Oliver Daemen, a Dutch teenager who became the world's youngest space traveller this week surprised billionaire Jeff Bezos on the inaugural flight by his exploration company Blue Origin by telling him he's never ordered anything on Amazon.

Oliver Daemen, a Dutch teenager who became the world's youngest space traveller this week surprised billionaire Jeff Bezos on the inaugural flight by his exploration company Blue Origin by telling him he's never ordered anything on Amazon.com. Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old physics student, accompanied Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos and 82-year-old female aviator Wally Funk, the oldest person to go to space, on a 10-minute trip beyond Earth's atmosphere. Bezos funded Blue Origin by selling billions worth of stock in his highly profitable online delivery business Amazon. "I told Jeff, like, I've actually never bought something from Amazon," he said in an interview on Friday at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. "And he was like, 'oh, wow, it's a long time ago I heard someone say that." Blue Origin had released footage of the newly minted astronauts performing somersaults in near-zero gravity and throwing Skittles which Dutch teen Oliver Daemen caught in his mouth. Daemen, who was picked after another candidate bidding $28 million for the ride cancelled at the last minute, got the good news while on a family holiday in Italy. "So I flew from Italy to Amsterdam, from Amsterdam to Atlanta, from Atlanta to El Paso, from El Paso to the ranch, so it was quite a long trip," he said. Daemen had dreamt of space travel since he was a kid, followed every development by space exploration companies like Blue Origin and got his pilot's license at a young age. Daemen's ticket was paid for by his father, the CEO of a private equity firm, CNBC reported. He plans to attend the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands to study physics and innovation management this September.

Oliver Daemen, who accompanied Bezos on his space trip, says he never ordered from Amazon

What did world's richest man Jeff Bezos and fellow crewmates do when ascended to peak altitude in Blue Origins rocket?&nbsp;For those of you who think there was something grand, no. Bezos and crewmates had skittles. The small celebration took place in weightlessness high above Earth.&nbsp;

Bezos and the crew flew outside Earth's atmosphere on Tuesday (July 20).

The flawless 10-minute hop from a west Texas base to beyond the Karman line -- the internationally recognized boundary marking the start of space -- and back again to the surface for a gentle desert landing minted four new astronauts, including the oldest and youngest ever.

At the highest point of their ascent. The crew experienced weightlessness for three to four minutes. It was at this time that they threw Skittles at each other. They unbuckled themselves from their seats and performed summersaults as they experienced weightlessness.

A video has now come out that shows the crewmates doing summersaults and throwing Skittles which Dutch teen Oliver Daemen caught in his mouth, as the capsule ascended to a peak altitude of 66.5 miles (107 kilometers).

Jeff Bezos's lift-off outside the Earth's atmosphere came nine days after a similar successful attempt by Richard Branson in a Virgin Galactic rocket.

Both of these flights are expected to give a fillip to space tourism sector.

What did world's richest man Jeff Bezos and fellow crewmates do when ascended to peak altitude in Blue Origins rocket? For those of you who think there was something grand, no.

What did world's richest man Jeff Bezos and fellow crewmates do when ascended to peak altitude in Blue Origins rocket? For those of you who think there was something grand, no. Bezos and crewmates had skittles. The small celebration took place in weightlessness high above Earth. Bezos and the crew flew outside Earth's atmosphere on Tuesday (July 20). The flawless 10-minute hop from a west Texas base to beyond the Karman line -- the internationally recognized boundary marking the start of space -- and back again to the surface for a gentle desert landing minted four new astronauts, including the oldest and youngest ever. At the highest point of their ascent. The crew experienced weightlessness for three to four minutes. It was at this time that they threw Skittles at each other. They unbuckled themselves from their seats and performed summersaults as they experienced weightlessness. A video has now come out that shows the crewmates doing summersaults and throwing Skittles which Dutch teen Oliver Daemen caught in his mouth, as the capsule ascended to a peak altitude of 66.5 miles (107 kilometers). Jeff Bezos's lift-off outside the Earth's atmosphere came nine days after a similar successful attempt by Richard Branson in a Virgin Galactic rocket. Both of these flights are expected to give a fillip to space tourism sector.

Blue Origin space mission: Weightless on top of the world, Jeff Bezos and crew had skittles

Jeff Bezos landed back on Earth after flying off to space, along with three other civilians. While it was the 16th flight for Blue Origin's New Shephard rocket, it was the first-ever&nbsp;all-civilian crew to fly to the Karmen Lane.

Blue Origin's flight has taken place a few days after another billionaire, Richard Branson, flew to space to experience zero gravity.&nbsp;

As it happened |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/Jeff-Bezos-space-trip-live-updates-launch-blue-origin-touchdown-complete-bezos-three-others-back-home-Amazon-Jeff%20Bezos-Crew-to-Space-399231">Blue Origin touchdown complete, Bezos &amp; three others back home</a>

"This isn't a competition, this is about&nbsp;building a road to space&nbsp;so that future generations can do incredible things in space," Bezos had recently said.

While Bezos believes this is about building a road to space, Twitter believes it is simply about a billionaire living his dreams on the expense of other people's money.

As Jeff Bezos' rocket launched, Twitter users, too, released their share of jokes on the billionaire.&nbsp;

Here are some of the best reactions:

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Quick, Jeff Bezos is in space, unionise Amazon.
— David Milner (@DaveMilbo) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaveMilbo/status/1417472084809158659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Great. Now it's time for billionaires like <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffBezos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeffBezos</a> to pay their fair share. <a href="https://t.co/gdjkJtlk7O">https://t.co/gdjkJtlk7O</a>
— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMcGovern/status/1417479295392489474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueOrigin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueOrigin</a> for today’s flight. Space plays a critical role in our daily lives and national security. Private sector investment in space is important. 
 
At the same time, I note that <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a> sent human beings to the moon and brought them back 52 YEARS AGO. <a href="https://t.co/44A0AF6Qq6">https://t.co/44A0AF6Qq6</a>
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/1417479048935137284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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2.2 billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water….but, hooray! Another billionaire just made it to the edge of space. <a href="https://t.co/nmsJuXVujv">https://t.co/nmsJuXVujv</a>
— Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) <a href="https://twitter.com/repmarkpocan/status/1417479482630361098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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BREAKING: Jeff Bezos shot into space! Warehouse employees around the world celebrate!
— Michael Coates (@MG_Coates) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Coates/status/1417472979642982409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The Bezos rocket reminds me of... <a href="https://t.co/DciJSrohh9">https://t.co/DciJSrohh9</a> <a href="https://t.co/ElsQOvE0Yu">pic.twitter.com/ElsQOvE0Yu</a>
— Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) <a href="https://twitter.com/CahnEmily/status/1417474888265261056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know it’s time for billionaires to pay their fair share. <a href="https://t.co/fozG8FVVvh">https://t.co/fozG8FVVvh</a>
— Katherine Clark (@RepKClark) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepKClark/status/1417474459305496582?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Billionaires will try ANYTHING to avoid paying their fair share in taxes. It's time for a wealth tax. <a href="https://t.co/g9aGly0gLH">https://t.co/g9aGly0gLH</a>
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJayapal/status/1417474038750982149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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There’s a $5.5 billion dollar penis in the sky. Too bad Amazon can’t afford to provide its employees health insurance, better working conditions, or pay them a living wage. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BezosHasNoShame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BezosHasNoShame</a>
— Nancy Giles (@nancygilesnyc) <a href="https://twitter.com/nancygilesnyc/status/1417473792612388867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Jeff Bezos landed back on Earth after flying off to space, along with three other civilians. While it was the 16th flight for Blue Origin's New Shephard rocket, it was the first-ever all-civilian crew to fly to the Karmen Lane.

Jeff Bezos landed back on Earth after flying off to space, along with three other civilians. While it was the 16th flight for Blue Origin's New Shephard rocket, it was the first-ever all-civilian crew to fly to the Karmen Lane. Blue Origin's flight has taken place a few days after another billionaire, Richard Branson, flew to space to experience zero gravity. As it happened | Blue Origin touchdown complete, Bezos & three others back home "This isn't a competition, this is about building a road to space so that future generations can do incredible things in space," Bezos had recently said. While Bezos believes this is about building a road to space, Twitter believes it is simply about a billionaire living his dreams on the expense of other people's money. As Jeff Bezos' rocket launched, Twitter users, too, released their share of jokes on the billionaire. Here are some of the best reactions: Quick, Jeff Bezos is in space, unionise Amazon. — David Milner (@DaveMilbo) July 20, 2021 × Great. Now it's time for billionaires like @JeffBezos to pay their fair share. https://t.co/gdjkJtlk7O — Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) July 20, 2021 × Congratulations to #BlueOrigin for today’s flight. Space plays a critical role in our daily lives and national security. Private sector investment in space is important. At the same time, I note that @NASA sent human beings to the moon and brought them back 52 YEARS AGO. https://t.co/44A0AF6Qq6 — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) July 20, 2021 × 2.2 billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water….but, hooray! Another billionaire just made it to the edge of space. https://t.co/nmsJuXVujv — Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) July 20, 2021 × BREAKING: Jeff Bezos shot into space! Warehouse employees around the world celebrate! — Michael Coates (@MG_Coates) July 20, 2021 × The Bezos rocket reminds me of... https://t.co/DciJSrohh9 pic.twitter.com/ElsQOvE0Yu — Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) July 20, 2021 × You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know it’s time for billionaires to pay their fair share. https://t.co/fozG8FVVvh — Katherine Clark (@RepKClark) July 20, 2021 × Billionaires will try ANYTHING to avoid paying their fair share in taxes. It's time for a wealth tax. https://t.co/g9aGly0gLH — Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) July 20, 2021 × There’s a $5.5 billion dollar penis in the sky. Too bad Amazon can’t afford to provide its employees health insurance, better working conditions, or pay them a living wage. #BezosHasNoShame — Nancy Giles (@nancygilesnyc) July 20, 2021 ×

'Unionise Amazon': Twitter is full of jokes after Jeff Bezos returns from space trip

Aviator Wally Funk, 82, accompanied Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on the first crewed spaceflight of Blue Origin&nbsp;on July 21 and became the oldest woman to fly to space.Funk was the first woman trained to fly to space during&nbsp;1960-1961 in the Mercury 13 program. On July 20, she became the oldest person ever to go to space.

"I can hardly wait," Funk said in a video posted on Bezos Instagram account. "I would say, "Honey, that was the best thing that ever happened to me!," Funk said in the video as she hugged Bezos.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiny-little-fragile-thing-bezos-returns-to-earth-awestruck-ready-for-another-flight-399312">Bezos returns to Earth 'awestruck', ready for another space flight</a>

"They told me that I had done better and completed the work faster than any of the guys," Funk says, adding, "So I got ahold of NASA, four times. I said I want to become an astronaut, but nobody would take me. I didn't think that I would ever get to go up."&nbsp;

Funk said people told her "Wally, you're a girl, you can't do that."&nbsp;

"I said guess what, doesn't matter what you are, you can still do it if you want to do it."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/jeff-bezos-completes-pilot-space-flight-aboard-blue-origins-new-shepard-399280">In pics |&nbsp;Jeff Bezos completes his space voyage aboard New Shepard</a>

While many women from her age gave up on the dream of ever travelling to the space, Wally fulfilled her life-long dream and described it as the best day of her life. "I'm going. That is my quest. ... I love flying, that's my job, that's what I love. And I'm not a quitter," she said before the launch.

An unnamed winner of the online auction was scheduled to accompany Bezos brothers and Funk, but a last-minute 'scheduling issue' took the opportunity away from him and he said he will be encashing his ticket on the next flight. In place of him, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen took the opportunity and became the youngest person to fly to space.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unionise-amazon-twitter-is-full-of-jokes-after-jeff-bezos-returns-from-space-trip-399266" hreflang="en">'Unionise Amazon': Twitter is full of jokes after Jeff Bezos returns from space trip</a>

New Shephard has taken several uncrewed test runs earlier. However, this was it's first all-crew flight.

Blue Origin's latest voyage into space comes as it faces stiff competition from Elon Musk's SpaceX and Virgin Galactic's founder British billionaire Richard Branson.

(With inputs from Agencies) 
&nbsp;

Aviator Wally Funk, 82, accompanied Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on the first crewed spaceflight of Blue Origin on July 21 and became the oldest woman to fly to space.

Aviator Wally Funk, 82, accompanied Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on the first crewed spaceflight of Blue Origin on July 21 and became the oldest woman to fly to space.Funk was the first woman trained to fly to space during 1960-1961 in the Mercury 13 program. On July 20, she became the oldest person ever to go to space. "I can hardly wait," Funk said in a video posted on Bezos Instagram account. "I would say, "Honey, that was the best thing that ever happened to me!," Funk said in the video as she hugged Bezos. Also read | Bezos returns to Earth 'awestruck', ready for another space flight "They told me that I had done better and completed the work faster than any of the guys," Funk says, adding, "So I got ahold of NASA, four times. I said I want to become an astronaut, but nobody would take me. I didn't think that I would ever get to go up." Funk said people told her "Wally, you're a girl, you can't do that." "I said guess what, doesn't matter what you are, you can still do it if you want to do it." In pics | Jeff Bezos completes his space voyage aboard New Shepard While many women from her age gave up on the dream of ever travelling to the space, Wally fulfilled her life-long dream and described it as the best day of her life. "I'm going. That is my quest. ... I love flying, that's my job, that's what I love. And I'm not a quitter," she said before the launch. An unnamed winner of the online auction was scheduled to accompany Bezos brothers and Funk, but a last-minute 'scheduling issue' took the opportunity away from him and he said he will be encashing his ticket on the next flight. In place of him, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen took the opportunity and became the youngest person to fly to space. Also read | 'Unionise Amazon': Twitter is full of jokes after Jeff Bezos returns from space trip New Shephard has taken several uncrewed test runs earlier. However, this was it's first all-crew flight. Blue Origin's latest voyage into space comes as it faces stiff competition from Elon Musk's SpaceX and Virgin Galactic's founder British billionaire Richard Branson. (With inputs from Agencies)

Veteran pilot Wally Funk, 82, becomes oldest woman to go to space

Want to become a space tourist? Here is all you need to do

Virgin Galactic founder, Richard Branson took to Twitter to congratulate and extend his best compliments to the Amazon Founder, Jeff Bezos after the latter successfully completed his first-ever space trip.

"Well done @blueorigin, @jeffbezos, Mark, Wally and Oliver. Impressive! Very best to all the crew from me and all the team at @virgingalactic," Branson tweeted.

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Well done <a href="https://twitter.com/blueorigin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@blueorigin</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffBezos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jeffbezos</a>, Mark, Wally and Oliver. Impressive! Very best to all the crew from me and all the team at <a href="https://twitter.com/virgingalactic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@virgingalactic</a>
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) <a href="https://twitter.com/richardbranson/status/1417482001721008130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group and Virgin galactic, flew to space a few days before the Amazon ex-CEO. On July 11, Virgin Galactic’s Unity 22 took off from Spaceport, New Mexico at around 8:40 am Mountain Time (1440 GMT).

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unionise-amazon-twitter-is-full-of-jokes-after-jeff-bezos-returns-from-space-trip-399266" hreflang="en">'Unionise Amazon': Twitter is full of jokes after Jeff Bezos returns from space trip</a>

After achieving the desired altitude, the two pilots cut off the engine for a few minutes and let the four other passengers unbuckle and experience being weightless. They also observed the Earth’s curvature through the 17 windows.

While Branson beat Bezos to space, it was the richest man on the Earth who was able to reach a higher point than Branson. Bezos travelled to the Karman Line, which is higher than what Branson aimed for in his first flight. Blue Origin became the first to help three other private citizens travel to space in an all-crew flight.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/Jeff-Bezos-space-trip-live-updates-launch-blue-origin-touchdown-complete-bezos-three-others-back-home-Amazon-Jeff-Bezos-Crew-to-Space-399231">As it happened:&nbsp;Blue Origin capsule touches down, Bezos &amp; three others back home</a>

This flight also set world records for sending the oldest and youngest people to space. Wally Funk, an 82-year-old space lover, became the oldest woman to travel to space and 18-year-old Dutchman&nbsp;Oliver Daemen became the youngest space traveller.

While Branson was full of praises for Bezos' space trip, other Twitter users decided to poke fun at the billionaire entrepreneur.&nbsp;

Virgin Galactic founder, Richard Branson took to Twitter to congratulate and extend his best compliments to the Amazon Founder, Jeff Bezos after the latter successfully completed his first-ever space trip.

Virgin Galactic founder, Richard Branson took to Twitter to congratulate and extend his best compliments to the Amazon Founder, Jeff Bezos after the latter successfully completed his first-ever space trip. "Well done @blueorigin, @jeffbezos, Mark, Wally and Oliver. Impressive! Very best to all the crew from me and all the team at @virgingalactic," Branson tweeted. Well done @blueorigin, @jeffbezos, Mark, Wally and Oliver. Impressive! Very best to all the crew from me and all the team at @virgingalactic — Richard Branson (@richardbranson) July 20, 2021 × Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group and Virgin galactic, flew to space a few days before the Amazon ex-CEO. On July 11, Virgin Galactic’s Unity 22 took off from Spaceport, New Mexico at around 8:40 am Mountain Time (1440 GMT). Also read | 'Unionise Amazon': Twitter is full of jokes after Jeff Bezos returns from space trip After achieving the desired altitude, the two pilots cut off the engine for a few minutes and let the four other passengers unbuckle and experience being weightless. They also observed the Earth’s curvature through the 17 windows. While Branson beat Bezos to space, it was the richest man on the Earth who was able to reach a higher point than Branson. Bezos travelled to the Karman Line, which is higher than what Branson aimed for in his first flight. Blue Origin became the first to help three other private citizens travel to space in an all-crew flight. Also read | As it happened: Blue Origin capsule touches down, Bezos & three others back home This flight also set world records for sending the oldest and youngest people to space. Wally Funk, an 82-year-old space lover, became the oldest woman to travel to space and 18-year-old Dutchman Oliver Daemen became the youngest space traveller. While Branson was full of praises for Bezos' space trip, other Twitter users decided to poke fun at the billionaire entrepreneur.

Richard Branson congratulates Jeff Bezos for successful space flight

The spacecraft will carry Bezos, his brother Mark, 82-year-old former pilot Wally Funk and 18-year-old teen Oliver Daeman beyond the Karman Line. Lift-off is at 8:00 am Central Time (1300 GMT) from a remote facility in the west Texas desert called Launch Site One, some 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of the nearest town, Van Horn.

World's richest man Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin all set for space debut

Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man, will launch his rocket into space today, marking a watershed moment for a young industry attempting to make the final frontier accessible to high-end tourists.

Blue Origin plans to launch its first crewed mission on the 52nd anniversary of the first Moon landing, an 11-minute journey from west Texas to beyond the Karman line and back.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-updates-blue-origin-touchdown-complete-bezos-three-others-back-home-399231">Live updates on spaceflight here</a>

Bezos, who launched Blue Origin in 2000 to use some of his Amazon money to research rocket technology for a variety of business goals, will embark on his extraterrestrial mission just nine days after fellow billionaire and rocket firm founder Richard Branson.

When and where to watch:

On July 20 (Tuesday), at 8 AM CDT (6.30 PM IST), the planned 11-minute voyage from the company's Launch Site One facility is set to take off.

On <a href="https://www.blueorigin.com/">Blue Origin's live stream</a>, people will be able to see the entire event, from the launch to the journey (5 pm IST). 
 
Click&nbsp;here to watch Jeff Bezos' trip to space

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According to CNN, viewers can expect outside pictures of the rocket and capsule as it launches into space.

Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man, will launch his rocket into space today, marking a watershed moment for a young industry attempting to make the final frontier accessible to high-end tourists.

Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man, will launch his rocket into space today, marking a watershed moment for a young industry attempting to make the final frontier accessible to high-end tourists. Blue Origin plans to launch its first crewed mission on the 52nd anniversary of the first Moon landing, an 11-minute journey from west Texas to beyond the Karman line and back. Live updates on spaceflight here Bezos, who launched Blue Origin in 2000 to use some of his Amazon money to research rocket technology for a variety of business goals, will embark on his extraterrestrial mission just nine days after fellow billionaire and rocket firm founder Richard Branson. When and where to watch: On July 20 (Tuesday), at 8 AM CDT (6.30 PM IST), the planned 11-minute voyage from the company's Launch Site One facility is set to take off. On Blue Origin's live stream, people will be able to see the entire event, from the launch to the journey (5 pm IST). Click here to watch Jeff Bezos' trip to space × According to CNN, viewers can expect outside pictures of the rocket and capsule as it launches into space.

Jeff Bezos is flying to space: When and where to watch Blue Origin flight

Journey of Jeff Bezos: How Amazon's 'garage inventor' became interested in space

&nbsp;Few hours before Amazon’s ex-CEO, Jeff Bezos, blasts off to space, the American billionaire says he is excited but not nervous.

“People keep asking if I'm nervous. I'm not really nervous, I'm excited. I'm curious. I want to know what we're going to learn,” Bezos said during a round of televised interviews a few hours before the launch.

Have a look |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/get-to-know-the-whos-who-of-blue-origins-first-crewed-flight-398848#the-tycoon-jeff-bezos-398842">Get to know the who's who of Blue Origin's first crewed flight</a>

The billionaire businessman is set to fly off to the space and cross the Karman line, that separates Earth’s atmosphere from the space.

Blue Origin’s New Shephard will carry the four passengers to the outer space. The trip will last for a total of ten minutes, out of which for four minutes the passengers will experience the Karman Line.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-born-sanjal-gavande-part-of-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-team-398908" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-born-sanjal-gavande-part-of-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-team-398908&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwixipqa2e_xAhUzzzgGHcqPCp0QFjAAegQIBhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3JRwHgJxw5wHLVLgVe7Wu2" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-born-sanjal-gavande-part-of-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-team-398908" target="_blank">Maharashtra-born Sanjal Gavande part of&nbsp;Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin</a>

"We've been training. This vehicle is ready. This crew is ready. This team is amazing," Bezos said. "We just feel really good about it."

He will be joined by his brother Mark Bezos, who directs Bezos Family Foundation and volunteers as a firefighter. Jeff’s six years younger brother is often described as his bestfriend by the billionaire, and therefore his seat next to Jeff Bezos was predicted.

The Bezos brothers will be joined by the 82-year-old Trailblazer Wally Funk, who will now be creating record for being the oldest ever astronaut. Last passenger on the rocket will be 18-year-old Oliver Daemen who is filling in the spot for an anonymous winner of $28 million public auction.

Few hours before Amazon’s ex-CEO, Jeff Bezos, blasts off to space, the American billionaire says he is excited but not nervous. “People keep asking if I'm nervous.

Few hours before Amazon’s ex-CEO, Jeff Bezos, blasts off to space, the American billionaire says he is excited but not nervous. “People keep asking if I'm nervous. I'm not really nervous, I'm excited. I'm curious. I want to know what we're going to learn,” Bezos said during a round of televised interviews a few hours before the launch. Have a look | Get to know the who's who of Blue Origin's first crewed flight The billionaire businessman is set to fly off to the space and cross the Karman line, that separates Earth’s atmosphere from the space. Blue Origin’s New Shephard will carry the four passengers to the outer space. The trip will last for a total of ten minutes, out of which for four minutes the passengers will experience the Karman Line. Also read | Maharashtra-born Sanjal Gavande part of Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin "We've been training. This vehicle is ready. This crew is ready. This team is amazing," Bezos said. "We just feel really good about it." He will be joined by his brother Mark Bezos, who directs Bezos Family Foundation and volunteers as a firefighter. Jeff’s six years younger brother is often described as his bestfriend by the billionaire, and therefore his seat next to Jeff Bezos was predicted. The Bezos brothers will be joined by the 82-year-old Trailblazer Wally Funk, who will now be creating record for being the oldest ever astronaut. Last passenger on the rocket will be 18-year-old Oliver Daemen who is filling in the spot for an anonymous winner of $28 million public auction.

'Excited, curious, but not nervous': Jeff Bezos shows confidence before space flight

A 30-year-old engineer from India’s Maharashtra, Sanjal Gavande, is one of the engineers who helped build Jeff Bezos’ space rocket, New Shephard.

Gavande is a mechanical engineering graduate&nbsp;from the University of Mumbai. She shifted to the US in 2011 to pursue her master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University.

"I am really happy that my childhood dream is about to come true. I am proud to be a part of Team&nbsp;Blue Origin," she told an Indian media house, Times of India.

Have a look |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/get-to-know-the-whos-who-of-blue-origins-first-crewed-flight-398848" hreflang="en">Get to know the who's who of Blue Origin's first crewed flight</a>

The girl from Maharashtra’s Kalyan city had applied for the position of space engineer at NASA but was rejected citing citizenship issues. However, she later joined Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin as a systems engineer at the beginning of April this year.

She has battled gender stereotypes in her community in India over her choice of profession. "People told us that she is a girl, so why has she opted for mechanical engineering? I also thought sometimes about whether she would be able to handle such hard work. She has now made us all proud. She had a dream of design aerospace rockets and she has achieved it," her mother told India Today.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/blue-origin-reveals-highest-bid-for-a-seat-on-its-first-human-spaceflight-386077">&nbsp;Blue Origin reveals highest bid for a seat on its first human spaceflight</a>

Before joining Blue Origin, Gavande worked with Mercury Marin for three years after her master’s degree and then joined Toyota Racing Development as a mechanical design engineer.

Jeff Bezos is set to fly off to space in the first crewed launch by Blue Origin. New Shephard’s launch will take place on July 20 at 8:00 am Central Time (1300 GMT). The blast will take place from a remote facility in the west Texas desert called Launch Site One, some 25 miles (40 kilometres) north of the nearest town, Van Horn.

A 30-year-old engineer from India’s Maharashtra, Sanjal Gavande, is one of the engineers who helped build Jeff Bezos’ space rocket, New Shephard. Gavande is a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Mumbai.

A 30-year-old engineer from India’s Maharashtra, Sanjal Gavande, is one of the engineers who helped build Jeff Bezos’ space rocket, New Shephard. Gavande is a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Mumbai. She shifted to the US in 2011 to pursue her master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University. "I am really happy that my childhood dream is about to come true. I am proud to be a part of Team Blue Origin," she told an Indian media house, Times of India. Have a look | Get to know the who's who of Blue Origin's first crewed flight The girl from Maharashtra’s Kalyan city had applied for the position of space engineer at NASA but was rejected citing citizenship issues. However, she later joined Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin as a systems engineer at the beginning of April this year. She has battled gender stereotypes in her community in India over her choice of profession. "People told us that she is a girl, so why has she opted for mechanical engineering? I also thought sometimes about whether she would be able to handle such hard work. She has now made us all proud. She had a dream of design aerospace rockets and she has achieved it," her mother told India Today. Also read | Blue Origin reveals highest bid for a seat on its first human spaceflight Before joining Blue Origin, Gavande worked with Mercury Marin for three years after her master’s degree and then joined Toyota Racing Development as a mechanical design engineer. Jeff Bezos is set to fly off to space in the first crewed launch by Blue Origin. New Shephard’s launch will take place on July 20 at 8:00 am Central Time (1300 GMT). The blast will take place from a remote facility in the west Texas desert called Launch Site One, some 25 miles (40 kilometres) north of the nearest town, Van Horn.

Maharashtra-born Sanjal Gavande part of Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin team

Get to know the who's who of Blue Origin's first crewed flight

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin said on Thursday that an 18-year-old paying customer will fly to space in the company's maiden crewed mission on July 20. This is will make the person youngest ever astronaut.

Oliver Daemen, who graduated from high school in 2020 and holds a private pilot's license, is not the winner of a $28 million auction, who has asked to remain anonymous and will fly on a future mission, the company said.

"This marks the beginning of commercial operations for New Shepard, and Oliver represents a new generation of people who will help us build a road to space," said Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin.

Flying on New Shepard will fulfill a lifelong dream for Daemen, who has been fascinated by space, the Moon, and rockets since he was four, a statement said.

Daemen plans to attend University of Utrecht in Netherlands. He plans to study Physics and innovation management this September.

Daemen joins Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, Jeff's brother Mark, and Wally Funk aboard the first human flight involving the New Shepard spaceship.

At 18-years-old and 82-years-young, Daemen and Funk will be the youngest and oldest astronauts to travel to space.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin said on Thursday that an 18-year-old paying customer will fly to space in the company's maiden crewed mission on July 20. This is will make the person youngest ever astronaut.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin said on Thursday that an 18-year-old paying customer will fly to space in the company's maiden crewed mission on July 20. This is will make the person youngest ever astronaut. Oliver Daemen, who graduated from high school in 2020 and holds a private pilot's license, is not the winner of a $28 million auction, who has asked to remain anonymous and will fly on a future mission, the company said. "This marks the beginning of commercial operations for New Shepard, and Oliver represents a new generation of people who will help us build a road to space," said Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin. Flying on New Shepard will fulfill a lifelong dream for Daemen, who has been fascinated by space, the Moon, and rockets since he was four, a statement said. Daemen plans to attend University of Utrecht in Netherlands. He plans to study Physics and innovation management this September. Daemen joins Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, Jeff's brother Mark, and Wally Funk aboard the first human flight involving the New Shepard spaceship. At 18-years-old and 82-years-young, Daemen and Funk will be the youngest and oldest astronauts to travel to space. (With inputs from agencies)

Blue Origin to fly 18-year-old to space with Bezos

Blue Origin and&nbsp;General Electric Hitachi Nuclear Energy have been roped in by NASA&nbsp;to develop&nbsp;nuclear-powered spacecraft that can travel faster and&nbsp;farther,&nbsp;to Mars and beyond.

The Department of Energy's&nbsp;Idaho National Laboratory (INL)&nbsp;is collaborating with&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;to advance space nuclear technologies.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-a-new-era-of-space-tourism-397706/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

NASA’s prototype power system uses a uranium-235 reactor core roughly the size of a paper towel roll.

The US government team has selected three reactor design concept proposals for a nuclear thermal propulsion system.

The reactor is a critical component of a nuclear thermal engine, which would utilise high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel.

The contracts, worth $5 million will&nbsp;fund the development of various design strategies for the specified performance requirements that could aid in deep space exploration.

Nuclear propulsion provides greater propellant efficiency as compared with chemical rockets. It’s a potential technology for crew and cargo missions to Mars and science missions to the outer solar system, enabling faster and more robust missions in many cases.

According to&nbsp;Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, ''By working together, across government and with industry, the United States is advancing space nuclear propulsion.''

''These design contracts are an important step towards tangible reactor hardware that could one day propel new missions and exciting discoveries,'' he added.

In 2018, Nasa and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) demonstrated a new nuclear reactor power system that could enable long-duration crewed missions to the Moon and Mars called the Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) experiment.&nbsp;

Kilopower is a small, lightweight fission power system capable of providing up to 10 KW.&nbsp;

The technology could power habitats and life-support systems, enable astronauts to mine resources, recharge rovers and run processing equipment to transform resources such as ice on the planet into oxygen, water and fuel.

It could also potentially augment electrically powered spacecraft propulsion systems on missions to the outer planets.

(With inputs from agencies)

Blue Origin and General Electric Hitachi Nuclear Energy have been roped in by NASA to develop nuclear-powered spacecraft that can travel faster and farther, to Mars and beyond.

Blue Origin and General Electric Hitachi Nuclear Energy have been roped in by NASA to develop nuclear-powered spacecraft that can travel faster and farther, to Mars and beyond. The Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is collaborating with NASA to advance space nuclear technologies. NASA’s prototype power system uses a uranium-235 reactor core roughly the size of a paper towel roll. The US government team has selected three reactor design concept proposals for a nuclear thermal propulsion system. The reactor is a critical component of a nuclear thermal engine, which would utilise high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel. The contracts, worth $5 million will fund the development of various design strategies for the specified performance requirements that could aid in deep space exploration. Nuclear propulsion provides greater propellant efficiency as compared with chemical rockets. It’s a potential technology for crew and cargo missions to Mars and science missions to the outer solar system, enabling faster and more robust missions in many cases. According to Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, ''By working together, across government and with industry, the United States is advancing space nuclear propulsion.'' ''These design contracts are an important step towards tangible reactor hardware that could one day propel new missions and exciting discoveries,'' he added. In 2018, Nasa and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) demonstrated a new nuclear reactor power system that could enable long-duration crewed missions to the Moon and Mars called the Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) experiment. Kilopower is a small, lightweight fission power system capable of providing up to 10 KW. The technology could power habitats and life-support systems, enable astronauts to mine resources, recharge rovers and run processing equipment to transform resources such as ice on the planet into oxygen, water and fuel. It could also potentially augment electrically powered spacecraft propulsion systems on missions to the outer planets. (With inputs from agencies)

Nuclear-powered spacecrafts are on the way: Blue Origin, General Electric roped in by NASA

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

British billionaire&nbsp;Richard Branson's wife&nbsp;Joan Templeman has said that she will not be going to his funeral if he dies on his spaceflight&nbsp;on July 11.

Branson&nbsp;laughed as he quoted his wife telling him: "'If you're foolish enough to do these wonderful things, you can do it, but I won't be going to your funeral.'"

It comes as&nbsp;Virgin Galactic finalises plans for founder Richard Branson to join five others on a test flight to the edge of space.

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/who-is-winning-space-tourism-race-between-bezos-branson-and-musk-396420">Who is winning space tourism race between Bezos, Branson and Musk?</a>

Even though&nbsp;Branson's wife may be nervous about the launch but he himself is not the least bit afraid.

Before this weekend's mission on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Unity, the avowed Star Trek fan attributed his drive and taste for adventure to his mother Eve, who died from Covid in January. &nbsp;

"I've always been a dreamer. My mum taught me to never give up and to reach for the stars," said the London-born 70-year-old.

"I've been looking forward to this for 17 years," Branson said in an interview&nbsp;from Spaceport America near the remote town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

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He said pre-flight preparations only add to the excitement ahead of Sunday's scheduled launch, which will be taking place one week before his 71st birthday.

"Every bit about it is a pinch-me moment," he said.

The launch of Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc's VSS Unity rocket plane over the desert will mark the space tourism company's fourth crewed test mission beyond Earth's atmosphere. But it will be the first to carry a full complement of space travelers, consisting of Branson, two pilots and three mission specialists.

Unity will be launched at an altitude of about 50,000 feet from a Virgin Galactic carrier plane, then soar on its own rocket power to the boundary of space, where the crew will experience about 4 minutes of weightlessness before beginning a descent back to Earth.

The trip is not without the inherent hazards of spaceflight. An earlier prototype of the rocket plane crashed during a 2014 test flight over California's Mojave Desert, killing one pilot and seriously injuring the other.

By joining the flight on July 11, Branson has positioned himself to beat rival entrepreneur Jeff Bezos into space by nine days.

Bezos, founder of the retail giant Amazon.com Inc, will be on board the suborbital flight of the New Shepard spacecraft of his own private rocket company, Blue Origin, on July 20.

Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, along with Elon Musk's SpaceX, are competing head-to-head in the emerging space tourism business.

Branson denied he and Bezos were in a contest to see who would go up first, however.

"I just wish him and people going up with him all the very best. I look forward to talking to him about his ride when he comes back," Branson said of Bezos. "I spoke to him two or three weeks ago, and we both wished each other well."

Success for both ventures is considered key to fostering a burgeoning industry that aims to eventually make space tourism mainstream, at least for high-paying customers.

Virgin has said two additional test flights of its vehicle are planned before the company begins commercial service in 2022, and Branson said he anticipates offering paid flights on a "regular basis" next year.

He also said he was confident there was plenty of room in the market for his venture and Bezos' company to compete.

"Neither of us are going to be able to build enough spaceships to satisfy the demand," Branson said.

(With inputs from agencies)

British billionaire Richard Branson's wife Joan Templeman has said that she will not be going to his funeral if he dies on his spaceflight on July 11. Branson laughed as he quoted his wife telling him: "'If you're foolish enough to do these wonderful things, you can do it, but I won't be going to your funeral.

British billionaire Richard Branson's wife Joan Templeman has said that she will not be going to his funeral if he dies on his spaceflight on July 11. Branson laughed as he quoted his wife telling him: "'If you're foolish enough to do these wonderful things, you can do it, but I won't be going to your funeral.'" It comes as Virgin Galactic finalises plans for founder Richard Branson to join five others on a test flight to the edge of space. Also see| Who is winning space tourism race between Bezos, Branson and Musk? Even though Branson's wife may be nervous about the launch but he himself is not the least bit afraid. Before this weekend's mission on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Unity, the avowed Star Trek fan attributed his drive and taste for adventure to his mother Eve, who died from Covid in January. "I've always been a dreamer. My mum taught me to never give up and to reach for the stars," said the London-born 70-year-old. "I've been looking forward to this for 17 years," Branson said in an interview from Spaceport America near the remote town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. He said pre-flight preparations only add to the excitement ahead of Sunday's scheduled launch, which will be taking place one week before his 71st birthday. "Every bit about it is a pinch-me moment," he said. The launch of Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc's VSS Unity rocket plane over the desert will mark the space tourism company's fourth crewed test mission beyond Earth's atmosphere. But it will be the first to carry a full complement of space travelers, consisting of Branson, two pilots and three mission specialists. Unity will be launched at an altitude of about 50,000 feet from a Virgin Galactic carrier plane, then soar on its own rocket power to the boundary of space, where the crew will experience about 4 minutes of weightlessness before beginning a descent back to Earth. The trip is not without the inherent hazards of spaceflight. An earlier prototype of the rocket plane crashed during a 2014 test flight over California's Mojave Desert, killing one pilot and seriously injuring the other. By joining the flight on July 11, Branson has positioned himself to beat rival entrepreneur Jeff Bezos into space by nine days. Bezos, founder of the retail giant Amazon.com Inc, will be on board the suborbital flight of the New Shepard spacecraft of his own private rocket company, Blue Origin, on July 20. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, along with Elon Musk's SpaceX, are competing head-to-head in the emerging space tourism business. Branson denied he and Bezos were in a contest to see who would go up first, however. "I just wish him and people going up with him all the very best. I look forward to talking to him about his ride when he comes back," Branson said of Bezos. "I spoke to him two or three weeks ago, and we both wished each other well." Success for both ventures is considered key to fostering a burgeoning industry that aims to eventually make space tourism mainstream, at least for high-paying customers. Virgin has said two additional test flights of its vehicle are planned before the company begins commercial service in 2022, and Branson said he anticipates offering paid flights on a "regular basis" next year. He also said he was confident there was plenty of room in the market for his venture and Bezos' company to compete. "Neither of us are going to be able to build enough spaceships to satisfy the demand," Branson said. (With inputs from agencies)

'I won't be going to his funeral': Richard Branson's wife expresses nervousness about his spaceflight

Who is winning space tourism race between Bezos, Branson and Musk?

British mogul Richard&nbsp;Branson&nbsp;one-upped rival Jeff Bezos on Thursday, announcing&nbsp;that he too will blast beyond Earth's atmosphere&nbsp;nine days ahead of the aspiring billionaire astronaut.

A successful flight by&nbsp;Branson&nbsp;aboard Virgin's VSS Unity spaceplane would mark a key milestone in a race to usher in a new era of private commercial space travel.

It would also mean that&nbsp;Branson&nbsp;would travel beyond Earth's atmosphere ahead of Bezos, the founder of rival space tourism venture Blue Origin.

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Bezos, who founded retail giant Amazon.com Inc, is slated to fly to space on July 20 along with his brother, Mark, trailblazing female pilot Wally Funk and a so-far unidentified person who plunked down $28 million to join the suborbital joyride.

With both tycoons having created space tourism companies and positioned themselves as leaders in the suborbital-flights-for-the-wealthy sector, the move signaled clear if not fierce competition.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/billionaire-richard-bransons-virgin-galactic-gets-approval-to-fly-people-to-space-393952">Billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic gets approval to fly people to space</a>

The race, which also includes SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk, is underpinned by optimism that space travel will become mainstream as nascent technology is proven and costs fall, fueling what UBS estimates could be a $3 billion annual tourism market by 2030. Musk has not set a date for his space flight.

"Virgin Galactic stands at the vanguard of a new commercial space industry, which is set to open space to humankind and change the world for good,"&nbsp;Branson&nbsp;said in a statement accompanying Virgin's announcement.

Branson's July 11 mission will be the twenty-second flight test for VSS Unity, and the company's fourth crewed spaceflight, Virgin said.

But it will be the first to carry a full crew of two pilots and four "mission specialists," including&nbsp;Branson.

Two additional test flights are planned before Virgin expects to begin commercial service in 2022, Virgin said.

Apples and oranges

The spacecraft developed by Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are very different, even if the passengers will ultimately have more or less the same experience: a few minutes of weightlessness.

In the case of Virgin Galactic, the spacecraft is not a classic rocket, but rather a carrier airplane that reaches a high altitude and releases a smaller spacecraft, the VSS Unity, that fires its engines and reaches suborbital space, then glides back to earth.

Blue Origin, meanwhile, is more of a classic rocket experience, with a vertical launch after which a capsule will separate from its booster, then spend four minutes at an altitude exceeding 60 miles (100 kilometers), during which time those onboard experience weightlessness and can observe the curvature of Earth.

The booster lands autonomously on a pad two miles from the launch site, and the capsule floats back to the surface with three large parachutes that slow it down to about a mile per hour when it lands.

(With inputs from agencies)

British mogul Richard Branson one-upped rival Jeff Bezos on Thursday, announcing that he too will blast beyond Earth's atmosphere nine days ahead of the aspiring billionaire astronaut.

British mogul Richard Branson one-upped rival Jeff Bezos on Thursday, announcing that he too will blast beyond Earth's atmosphere nine days ahead of the aspiring billionaire astronaut. A successful flight by Branson aboard Virgin's VSS Unity spaceplane would mark a key milestone in a race to usher in a new era of private commercial space travel. It would also mean that Branson would travel beyond Earth's atmosphere ahead of Bezos, the founder of rival space tourism venture Blue Origin. Bezos, who founded retail giant Amazon.com Inc, is slated to fly to space on July 20 along with his brother, Mark, trailblazing female pilot Wally Funk and a so-far unidentified person who plunked down $28 million to join the suborbital joyride. With both tycoons having created space tourism companies and positioned themselves as leaders in the suborbital-flights-for-the-wealthy sector, the move signaled clear if not fierce competition. Also read| Billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic gets approval to fly people to space The race, which also includes SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk, is underpinned by optimism that space travel will become mainstream as nascent technology is proven and costs fall, fueling what UBS estimates could be a $3 billion annual tourism market by 2030. Musk has not set a date for his space flight. "Virgin Galactic stands at the vanguard of a new commercial space industry, which is set to open space to humankind and change the world for good," Branson said in a statement accompanying Virgin's announcement. Branson's July 11 mission will be the twenty-second flight test for VSS Unity, and the company's fourth crewed spaceflight, Virgin said. But it will be the first to carry a full crew of two pilots and four "mission specialists," including Branson. Two additional test flights are planned before Virgin expects to begin commercial service in 2022, Virgin said. Apples and oranges The spacecraft developed by Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are very different, even if the passengers will ultimately have more or less the same experience: a few minutes of weightlessness. In the case of Virgin Galactic, the spacecraft is not a classic rocket, but rather a carrier airplane that reaches a high altitude and releases a smaller spacecraft, the VSS Unity, that fires its engines and reaches suborbital space, then glides back to earth. Blue Origin, meanwhile, is more of a classic rocket experience, with a vertical launch after which a capsule will separate from its booster, then spend four minutes at an altitude exceeding 60 miles (100 kilometers), during which time those onboard experience weightlessness and can observe the curvature of Earth. The booster lands autonomously on a pad two miles from the launch site, and the capsule floats back to the surface with three large parachutes that slow it down to about a mile per hour when it lands. (With inputs from agencies)

Space race for billionaires: Richard Branson to make space trip before rival Jeff Bezos

Space tourism company&nbsp;Virgin GalacticOrbit's LauncherOne rocket took seven satellites to orbit after being dropped mid-air from the underside of a modified Boeing 747 nicknamed Cosmic Girl.

The move presents an ideal opportunity for the company to flaunt its ambitions not only to send wealthy tourists on pleasure rides costing $200,000 or more, but also to advance science.

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Earlier,&nbsp;the US Federal Aviation Administration&nbsp;approved the first commercial license to take consumers to space for&nbsp;Virgin Galactic.

Virgin Galactic, founded by British billionaire Richard&nbsp;Branson, hopes to begin regular commercial suborbital flights in early 2022, with eventual plans for 400 trips a year.

The flights are far from the classic rocket experience, with a carrier plane taking off from a runway then dropping the spacecraft once in the air, which then ignites its engines.

The company is facing fierce competition in the field of private space exploration from&nbsp;Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Tesla Inc boss Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Branson, Bezos, and Musk have been investing billions of dollars on their rocket startups.

Virgin Galactic last month completed its first manned space flight from its new homeport in New Mexico in May, as its SpaceShipTwo craft with a capacity of six passengers glided to a landing on a runway safely with its two pilots.

Space tourism company Virgin GalacticOrbit's LauncherOne rocket took seven satellites to orbit after being dropped mid-air from the underside of a modified Boeing 747 nicknamed Cosmic Girl.

Space tourism company Virgin GalacticOrbit's LauncherOne rocket took seven satellites to orbit after being dropped mid-air from the underside of a modified Boeing 747 nicknamed Cosmic Girl. The move presents an ideal opportunity for the company to flaunt its ambitions not only to send wealthy tourists on pleasure rides costing $200,000 or more, but also to advance science. Earlier, the US Federal Aviation Administration approved the first commercial license to take consumers to space for Virgin Galactic. Virgin Galactic, founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, hopes to begin regular commercial suborbital flights in early 2022, with eventual plans for 400 trips a year. The flights are far from the classic rocket experience, with a carrier plane taking off from a runway then dropping the spacecraft once in the air, which then ignites its engines. The company is facing fierce competition in the field of private space exploration from Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Tesla Inc boss Elon Musk's SpaceX. Branson, Bezos, and Musk have been investing billions of dollars on their rocket startups. Virgin Galactic last month completed its first manned space flight from its new homeport in New Mexico in May, as its SpaceShipTwo craft with a capacity of six passengers glided to a landing on a runway safely with its two pilots.

Race to space: Virgin Orbit launches seven satellites in LauncherOne mission

The European Space Agency&nbsp;head Josef Aschbacher has said he&nbsp;hopes to hire and launch the world's first differently abled astronaut and several hundred would-be para-astronauts have already applied for the role.

The 22-member space programme has just closed its latest decennial recruitment call for astronauts and received 22,000 applicants, Aschbacher said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/billionaire-richard-bransons-virgin-galactic-gets-approval-to-fly-people-to-space-393952" hreflang="en">Billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic gets approval to fly people to space</a>

"We would like to launch an astronaut with a disability, which would be the first time ever," the Austrian added. "But I'm also happy for ESA because it shows that space is for everyone, and that's something I'd like to convey."

In releasing the results of a new recruitment drive aimed at more astronaut diversity, the agency acknowledged that it still has work to do on gender balance. Just 24 per cent&nbsp;of the applicants were women, up from 15 per cent&nbsp;at the last hiring drive in 2008.

The European agency has sent only two women into space to date, Claudie Haigneré and Samantha Cristoforetti,&nbsp;but wants that number to grow.

Globally, 65 of the more than 560 people who have explored space were women, most of them Americans.

The ESA, whose Ariane rocket once dominated the market for commercial satellite launches, faces ever stiffer competition from tech-funded upstarts like Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX.

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Amazon founder Bezos hopes next month to become the first man to go into space on his own rocket, highlighting the growing role tech billionaires are playing in a field that was once dominated by public agencies.

"Space is developing extremely fast and if we don't catch up with this train we are left behind," he added, outlining plans to refashion the agency as a more entrepreneurial player ready to work with venture capitalists to help grow European start-ups that could one day rival the Silicon Valley players.

The challenges are immense: the ESA's 7 billion euro budget is a third of NASA's, while its seven or eight launches a year are dwarfed by the 40 carried out by the United States.

Aschbacher, who grew up staring at the stars above his parents' mountain farm in Austria, himself once applied to become an ESA astronaut when he was a student. But what was once a geeky, niche enthusiasm has now become mainstream, he said.

This year's job ad attracted almost three times the 8,000 applications received a decade ago, and a quarter of them were women, up from just 15% before. The ESA has promised to develop technologies to ensure those with disabilities, like shortened legs, play a full part.

And those astronauts will go beyond the International Space Station: some will deploy to the United States's planned Gateway station on the moon, while the ESA's member states are considering an invitation from Chinese and Russian space agencies to participate in their similar moonbase project.

ESA this week signed an agreement with the European Union that will see the 27-nation bloc deepen ties with and increase its funding for the space agency.

As part of the deal, the EU will invest almost 9 billion euros ($10.8 billion) between now and 2027 for ESA programs aimed at boosting economic growth, digitalisation, and environmental protection.

While many ESA members are also part of the EU, some such as Britain are not.

Among the future programs planned are one that will test the use of a satellite-based quantum encryption system for secure communications, and another to monitor space for potential hazardous debris.

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Space Agency head Josef Aschbacher has said he hopes to hire and launch the world's first differently abled astronaut and several hundred would-be para-astronauts have already applied for the role.

The European Space Agency head Josef Aschbacher has said he hopes to hire and launch the world's first differently abled astronaut and several hundred would-be para-astronauts have already applied for the role. The 22-member space programme has just closed its latest decennial recruitment call for astronauts and received 22,000 applicants, Aschbacher said. Also read| Billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic gets approval to fly people to space "We would like to launch an astronaut with a disability, which would be the first time ever," the Austrian added. "But I'm also happy for ESA because it shows that space is for everyone, and that's something I'd like to convey." In releasing the results of a new recruitment drive aimed at more astronaut diversity, the agency acknowledged that it still has work to do on gender balance. Just 24 per cent of the applicants were women, up from 15 per cent at the last hiring drive in 2008. The European agency has sent only two women into space to date, Claudie Haigneré and Samantha Cristoforetti, but wants that number to grow. Globally, 65 of the more than 560 people who have explored space were women, most of them Americans. The ESA, whose Ariane rocket once dominated the market for commercial satellite launches, faces ever stiffer competition from tech-funded upstarts like Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX. Amazon founder Bezos hopes next month to become the first man to go into space on his own rocket, highlighting the growing role tech billionaires are playing in a field that was once dominated by public agencies. "Space is developing extremely fast and if we don't catch up with this train we are left behind," he added, outlining plans to refashion the agency as a more entrepreneurial player ready to work with venture capitalists to help grow European start-ups that could one day rival the Silicon Valley players. The challenges are immense: the ESA's 7 billion euro budget is a third of NASA's, while its seven or eight launches a year are dwarfed by the 40 carried out by the United States. Aschbacher, who grew up staring at the stars above his parents' mountain farm in Austria, himself once applied to become an ESA astronaut when he was a student. But what was once a geeky, niche enthusiasm has now become mainstream, he said. This year's job ad attracted almost three times the 8,000 applications received a decade ago, and a quarter of them were women, up from just 15% before. The ESA has promised to develop technologies to ensure those with disabilities, like shortened legs, play a full part. And those astronauts will go beyond the International Space Station: some will deploy to the United States's planned Gateway station on the moon, while the ESA's member states are considering an invitation from Chinese and Russian space agencies to participate in their similar moonbase project. ESA this week signed an agreement with the European Union that will see the 27-nation bloc deepen ties with and increase its funding for the space agency. As part of the deal, the EU will invest almost 9 billion euros ($10.8 billion) between now and 2027 for ESA programs aimed at boosting economic growth, digitalisation, and environmental protection. While many ESA members are also part of the EU, some such as Britain are not. Among the future programs planned are one that will test the use of a satellite-based quantum encryption system for secure communications, and another to monitor space for potential hazardous debris. (With inputs from agencies)

European Space Agency to hire first differently abled astronaut, more women in step towards inclusivity

After getting approval from the US aviation safety regulator on Friday, billionaire Richard Branson's spaceship company Virgin Galactic can now fly people to space.

The approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) comes at a critical time for Branson as his space venture faces off against Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Tesla Inc boss Elon Musk's SpaceX.

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Branson, Bezos and Musk have been investing billions of dollars on their rocket startups.

Branson, who is reportedly flying to space himself in a bid to beat rival billionaire Bezos to the final frontier, received the green light just a month after a successful test flight.

Virgin Galactic last month completed its first manned space flight from its new home port in New Mexico in May, as its SpaceShipTwo craft with a capacity of six passengers glided to a landing on a runway safely with its two pilots.

"Today's approval by the FAA ... gives us confidence as we proceed toward our first fully crewed test flight this summer," Virgin Galactic Chief Executive Officer Michael Colglazier said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

After getting approval from the US aviation safety regulator on Friday, billionaire Richard Branson's spaceship company Virgin Galactic can now fly people to space.

After getting approval from the US aviation safety regulator on Friday, billionaire Richard Branson's spaceship company Virgin Galactic can now fly people to space. The approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) comes at a critical time for Branson as his space venture faces off against Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Tesla Inc boss Elon Musk's SpaceX. Branson, Bezos and Musk have been investing billions of dollars on their rocket startups. Branson, who is reportedly flying to space himself in a bid to beat rival billionaire Bezos to the final frontier, received the green light just a month after a successful test flight. Virgin Galactic last month completed its first manned space flight from its new home port in New Mexico in May, as its SpaceShipTwo craft with a capacity of six passengers glided to a landing on a runway safely with its two pilots. "Today's approval by the FAA ... gives us confidence as we proceed toward our first fully crewed test flight this summer," Virgin Galactic Chief Executive Officer Michael Colglazier said in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

Billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic gets approval to fly people to space

Insurers are not ready to price the risk of losing&nbsp;Jeff Bezos or his fellow space travelers as launching one of the richest individuals on earth into orbit has proved a leap too far for them.

Amazon CEO Bezos, a lifelong space enthusiast, has been vying with Elon Musk and Richard Branson to become the first billionaire to fly beyond the earth's atmosphere.

And while insurers are well known for offering cover for even the most outlandish of risks, at a price, potential accidents in space are not yet among them.

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According to&nbsp;Insurance Information Institute (III) spokesperson Michael Barry,&nbsp;"Space tourism involves significant risk, but is not an issue life insurers specifically ask about as yet because it is so rare for anyone to travel into space.''

There is a nearly $500 million market to insure satellites, rockets and unmanned space flight, but no legal requirement for an operator such as Blue Origin, which Bezos founded, to insure passengers for injury or death or for space tourists to have life cover, brokers and insurers said.

"We're not aware of a case where anybody is insured against passenger liability," said Neil Stevens, senior vice president, aviation and space at Marsh, the world's biggest insurance broker.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/elon-musk-and-jeff-bezos-are-fighting-against-each-other-over-space-real-estate-359556">Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are fighting against each other over space real estate</a>

Assuming they lift-off as planned next month, Bezos and the other wannabe astronauts on Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft will not only spend several minutes 62 miles (100 km) above the earth in a truck-sized capsule, they also have to get back.

The only group that has regularly flown humans sub-orbitally since the 1960s is Branson's Virgin Galactic. All have been tests, with one failure in 2014 resulting in a death. Blue Origin has flown 15 unmanned sub-orbital flights with no failures, Seradata SpaceTrak data showed on June 10.

NASA and the US, in general, do not buy liability cover, with government launches basically insured by taxpayers, Richard Parker of Assure Space, a unit of insurer AmTrust Financial that provides space insurance, said.

NASA astronauts are eligible for government life insurance programs, a NASA spokesperson said in an emailed response.

Charles Wetton, underwriting manager for space policies at insurer Global Aerospace, said astronauts on government-funded missions are carefully selected for their knowledge, skills and fitness and train for several years before blast off.

"They and their families understand the risks of the work they do, Wetton said.

But commercial space cadets may only get a few days of training for a sub-orbital flight or a few months for a ride to the International Space Station (ISS), Wetton said, adding: "These represent two very different risk profiles that insurers will take into account".

Blue Origin on its website says the spaceflight passenger will receive training the day before the launch, including mission and vehicle overviews, safety briefings, mission simulation and instruction on in-flight activities.

Virgin Galactic said participants will get three days of training and preparation before the launch.

Insurers expect iron clad waivers and contracts from commercial space travel firms, stating they will bear no burden if a passenger dies during a flight.

NASA has called for responses from the industry for its plans for a liability framework for privately-funded astronaut missions to the ISS. NASA's plans include requiring private astronauts to buy life insurance.

It is still early days, but cover for space tourists may be the next step, said Tim Rush, senior vice president, US&nbsp;space, at insurance broker Gallagher, adding that the life insurance market currently provides individual cover of $2-5 million for private astronauts.

The only mandatory insurance in place for commercial space operators is third-party liability, mainly to cover property damage on earth or to a flying aircraft, said Akiko Hama, client executive, space and aerospace underwriting at Global Aerospace.

Blue Origin plans for its six-seater spacecraft to take off on July 20 and fly for four minutes beyond the boundary between the earth's atmosphere and outer space, where passengers will experience total weightlessness.

A key question for how the sector develops is whether risks related to tourism fall under space or aviation insurance lines.

The UN&nbsp;Outer Space Treaty and the Liability Convention of 1972 governs all activities in space and very few countries have a legal framework for commercial human spaceflight, they said.

The first-ever aviation insurance policy was written by Lloyd's of London in 1911. A few years later the market insured Charles Lindbergh and his single-engine plane for $18,000 on its non-stop flight from the United States to Europe.

Space trips are different, said Marsh's Stevens, because the passengers are returning to the same place as they left, making it technically a domestic trip to which international aviation insurance cannot be applied, meaning there will also be no limitation to liability.

"The aviation, aircraft insurance market, and the like, are less keen to take on risks that involve spacecraft," he said, adding that whether space tourism trips fall under aviation or space insurance is a "million dollar question".

While air travel is governed by rules that establish airline liability in the case of death of passengers, Stevens said he was unaware of plans for similar rules for space tourism.

However, Wetton said Global Aerospace had started to receive enquiries from companies for sub-orbital missions.

"In 10 years' time, maybe the two lines, aviation and spaceflight will look very similar," said Assure Space's Parker.

"Some legislative somewhere will say, look, we're now having average Joes flying on these launch vehicles and need to protect them," Parker added.

(With inputs from agencies)

Insurers are not ready to price the risk of losing Jeff Bezos or his fellow space travelers as launching one of the richest individuals on earth into orbit has proved a leap too far for them.

Insurers are not ready to price the risk of losing Jeff Bezos or his fellow space travelers as launching one of the richest individuals on earth into orbit has proved a leap too far for them. Amazon CEO Bezos, a lifelong space enthusiast, has been vying with Elon Musk and Richard Branson to become the first billionaire to fly beyond the earth's atmosphere. And while insurers are well known for offering cover for even the most outlandish of risks, at a price, potential accidents in space are not yet among them. According to Insurance Information Institute (III) spokesperson Michael Barry, "Space tourism involves significant risk, but is not an issue life insurers specifically ask about as yet because it is so rare for anyone to travel into space.'' There is a nearly $500 million market to insure satellites, rockets and unmanned space flight, but no legal requirement for an operator such as Blue Origin, which Bezos founded, to insure passengers for injury or death or for space tourists to have life cover, brokers and insurers said. "We're not aware of a case where anybody is insured against passenger liability," said Neil Stevens, senior vice president, aviation and space at Marsh, the world's biggest insurance broker. Also read| Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are fighting against each other over space real estate Assuming they lift-off as planned next month, Bezos and the other wannabe astronauts on Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft will not only spend several minutes 62 miles (100 km) above the earth in a truck-sized capsule, they also have to get back. The only group that has regularly flown humans sub-orbitally since the 1960s is Branson's Virgin Galactic. All have been tests, with one failure in 2014 resulting in a death. Blue Origin has flown 15 unmanned sub-orbital flights with no failures, Seradata SpaceTrak data showed on June 10. NASA and the US, in general, do not buy liability cover, with government launches basically insured by taxpayers, Richard Parker of Assure Space, a unit of insurer AmTrust Financial that provides space insurance, said. NASA astronauts are eligible for government life insurance programs, a NASA spokesperson said in an emailed response. Charles Wetton, underwriting manager for space policies at insurer Global Aerospace, said astronauts on government-funded missions are carefully selected for their knowledge, skills and fitness and train for several years before blast off. "They and their families understand the risks of the work they do, Wetton said. But commercial space cadets may only get a few days of training for a sub-orbital flight or a few months for a ride to the International Space Station (ISS), Wetton said, adding: "These represent two very different risk profiles that insurers will take into account". Blue Origin on its website says the spaceflight passenger will receive training the day before the launch, including mission and vehicle overviews, safety briefings, mission simulation and instruction on in-flight activities. Virgin Galactic said participants will get three days of training and preparation before the launch. Insurers expect iron clad waivers and contracts from commercial space travel firms, stating they will bear no burden if a passenger dies during a flight. NASA has called for responses from the industry for its plans for a liability framework for privately-funded astronaut missions to the ISS. NASA's plans include requiring private astronauts to buy life insurance. It is still early days, but cover for space tourists may be the next step, said Tim Rush, senior vice president, US space, at insurance broker Gallagher, adding that the life insurance market currently provides individual cover of $2-5 million for private astronauts. The only mandatory insurance in place for commercial space operators is third-party liability, mainly to cover property damage on earth or to a flying aircraft, said Akiko Hama, client executive, space and aerospace underwriting at Global Aerospace. Blue Origin plans for its six-seater spacecraft to take off on July 20 and fly for four minutes beyond the boundary between the earth's atmosphere and outer space, where passengers will experience total weightlessness. A key question for how the sector develops is whether risks related to tourism fall under space or aviation insurance lines. The UN Outer Space Treaty and the Liability Convention of 1972 governs all activities in space and very few countries have a legal framework for commercial human spaceflight, they said. The first-ever aviation insurance policy was written by Lloyd's of London in 1911. A few years later the market insured Charles Lindbergh and his single-engine plane for $18,000 on its non-stop flight from the United States to Europe. Space trips are different, said Marsh's Stevens, because the passengers are returning to the same place as they left, making it technically a domestic trip to which international aviation insurance cannot be applied, meaning there will also be no limitation to liability. "The aviation, aircraft insurance market, and the like, are less keen to take on risks that involve spacecraft," he said, adding that whether space tourism trips fall under aviation or space insurance is a "million dollar question". While air travel is governed by rules that establish airline liability in the case of death of passengers, Stevens said he was unaware of plans for similar rules for space tourism. However, Wetton said Global Aerospace had started to receive enquiries from companies for sub-orbital missions. "In 10 years' time, maybe the two lines, aviation and spaceflight will look very similar," said Assure Space's Parker. "Some legislative somewhere will say, look, we're now having average Joes flying on these launch vehicles and need to protect them," Parker added. (With inputs from agencies)

Why are insurance companies not ready to price risk of losing Jeff Bezos in space?

American entrepreneur and Amazon’s CEO, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/jeff-bezos">Jeff Bezos</a>, is not loved by everyone and proof of that is the recent petition signed by more than 75,000 people requesting him to leave the Earth forever.

Bezos started a space exploration firm called Blue Origin. As per his announced schedule, Bezos, along with his brother Mark Bezos, will be flying into space on July 20 in a Blue Origin spacecraft.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/science-technology/trip-to-space-with-jeff-bezos-sells-at-auction-for-28-million-391137" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/science-technology/trip-to-space-with-jeff-bezos-sells-at-auction-for-28-million-391137&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjxsam_qavxAhWK63MBHX__DeMQFjAAegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3bFFKsM_prxP1xI6EEjR5Z" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/science-technology/trip-to-space-with-jeff-bezos-sells-at-auction-for-28-million-391137" target="_blank">Trip to space with&nbsp;Jeff Bezos&nbsp;sells at auction for $28 million</a>

As soon as the announcement was made, a couple of change.org petitions popped up titled "Do not allow Jeff Bezos to return to Earth" and "Petition To Not Allow Jeff Bezos Re-Entry To Earth".

These petitions attracted thousands of signatories within a span of a few hours and in a couple of days, more than 75,000 people had already signed the petition hoping Jeff Bezos never returns to the Earth after his space exploration trip.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-jeff-bezos-is-going-to-space-393208">WATCH |</a>

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People, in their comments, said returning back to the Earth is a privilege and not a right. Thus, the billionaire should not be allowed back to the Earth.

The Bezos brothers will be leaving the Earth aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket which would also carry an unnamed passenger who paid $28 million for a seat in this space trip. The three passengers will be strapped in a dome-shaped capsule and make an 11-minute flight to the edge of space.

In this trip, the capsule will separate from the booster upon reaching the imaginary boundary above the Earth’s surface, and then it will re-enter the atmosphere and float back to the Earth with the help of parachutes.

American entrepreneur and Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, is not loved by everyone and proof of that is the recent petition signed by more than 75,000 people requesting him to leave the Earth forever.

American entrepreneur and Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, is not loved by everyone and proof of that is the recent petition signed by more than 75,000 people requesting him to leave the Earth forever. Bezos started a space exploration firm called Blue Origin. As per his announced schedule, Bezos, along with his brother Mark Bezos, will be flying into space on July 20 in a Blue Origin spacecraft. Also read | Trip to space with Jeff Bezos sells at auction for $28 million As soon as the announcement was made, a couple of change.org petitions popped up titled "Do not allow Jeff Bezos to return to Earth" and "Petition To Not Allow Jeff Bezos Re-Entry To Earth". These petitions attracted thousands of signatories within a span of a few hours and in a couple of days, more than 75,000 people had already signed the petition hoping Jeff Bezos never returns to the Earth after his space exploration trip. WATCH | People, in their comments, said returning back to the Earth is a privilege and not a right. Thus, the billionaire should not be allowed back to the Earth. The Bezos brothers will be leaving the Earth aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket which would also carry an unnamed passenger who paid $28 million for a seat in this space trip. The three passengers will be strapped in a dome-shaped capsule and make an 11-minute flight to the edge of space. In this trip, the capsule will separate from the booster upon reaching the imaginary boundary above the Earth’s surface, and then it will re-enter the atmosphere and float back to the Earth with the help of parachutes.

More than 75,000 people sign petition to not let Jeff Bezos return to Earth after upcoming Blue Origin space trip

Blue Origin, billionaire Jeff Bezos' rocket company, disclosed $2 million as the current highest bid for a seat on its New Shepherd spacecraft after the startup closed the first phase of its auction.

The second phase of the auction is underway and will last until June 10. The process will conclude in a final phase on June 12 with a live online auction.&nbsp;

The rocket company is targeting July 20 for its first suborbital sightseeing trip on its spacecraft, a landmark moment in a competition to usher in a new era of private commercial space travel.

The New Shepard rocket-and-capsule combo is designed to autonomously fly six passengers more than 62 miles (100 km) above Earth into suborbital space.

Blue Origin has been&nbsp;planning to charge passengers at least $200,000 for the ride, based on an appraisal of rival plans from billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc and other considerations, though its thinking may have changed.

Blue Origin has fallen far behind Elon Musk's SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) on orbital transportation, losing out on billions of dollars' worth of US&nbsp;national security launch contracts that begin in 2022.

These rocket startups mainly aim to send satellites for clients into orbit at an affordable price and reuse parts of rockets to keep costs in check.

Blue Origin, billionaire Jeff Bezos' rocket company, disclosed $2 million as the current highest bid for a seat on its New Shepherd spacecraft after the startup closed the first phase of its auction.

Blue Origin, billionaire Jeff Bezos' rocket company, disclosed $2 million as the current highest bid for a seat on its New Shepherd spacecraft after the startup closed the first phase of its auction. The second phase of the auction is underway and will last until June 10. The process will conclude in a final phase on June 12 with a live online auction. The rocket company is targeting July 20 for its first suborbital sightseeing trip on its spacecraft, a landmark moment in a competition to usher in a new era of private commercial space travel. The New Shepard rocket-and-capsule combo is designed to autonomously fly six passengers more than 62 miles (100 km) above Earth into suborbital space. Blue Origin has been planning to charge passengers at least $200,000 for the ride, based on an appraisal of rival plans from billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc and other considerations, though its thinking may have changed. Blue Origin has fallen far behind Elon Musk's SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) on orbital transportation, losing out on billions of dollars' worth of US national security launch contracts that begin in 2022. These rocket startups mainly aim to send satellites for clients into orbit at an affordable price and reuse parts of rockets to keep costs in check.

Blue Origin reveals highest bid for a seat on its first human spaceflight

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will send its first crew to space on July 20 and is offering one of the seats to the winner of an online auction, the company said Wednesday.

The trip will last a total of ten minutes, four of which passengers will spend above the Karman line that marks the recognized boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space.

"We've been perfecting our ability to launch, land and repeat," a video accompanying the announcement said.&nbsp;

"Our next launch will be the first time astronauts will fly aboard New Shepard."

The reusable suborbital rocket system was named after Alan Shepard, who sixty years ago on Wednesday became the first American in space.

New Shepard has successfully carried out 15 uncrewed test runs launching from its facility in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas.

After lift-off, the capsule, which carries up to six crew members, separates from its booster, then spends four minutes at an altitude exceeding 60 miles (100 kilometers), during which time those on board experience weightlessness and can observe the curvature of Earth from space.

The booster lands autonomously on a pad two miles from the launch site, and the capsule floats back to the surface with three large parachutes that slow it down to about a mile an hour when it lands.

Blue Origin said the bidding will be unsealed on May 19 before a final-stage live online auction on July 12 when the winner is announced.&nbsp;

The proceeds will go to the company's foundation, Club for the Future, which aims to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM.

Blue Origin has not yet published its prices but its clientele is expected to mainly be wealthy individuals.

Virgin Galactic, the company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, is also developing a spacecraft capable of sending clients on suborbital flights. Some 600 people have booked flights, costing $200,000 to $250,000.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is planning orbital flights that would cost millions of dollars and send people much further into space.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will send its first crew to space on July 20 and is offering one of the seats to the winner of an online auction, the company said Wednesday.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will send its first crew to space on July 20 and is offering one of the seats to the winner of an online auction, the company said Wednesday. The trip will last a total of ten minutes, four of which passengers will spend above the Karman line that marks the recognized boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space. "We've been perfecting our ability to launch, land and repeat," a video accompanying the announcement said. "Our next launch will be the first time astronauts will fly aboard New Shepard." The reusable suborbital rocket system was named after Alan Shepard, who sixty years ago on Wednesday became the first American in space. New Shepard has successfully carried out 15 uncrewed test runs launching from its facility in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas. After lift-off, the capsule, which carries up to six crew members, separates from its booster, then spends four minutes at an altitude exceeding 60 miles (100 kilometers), during which time those on board experience weightlessness and can observe the curvature of Earth from space. The booster lands autonomously on a pad two miles from the launch site, and the capsule floats back to the surface with three large parachutes that slow it down to about a mile an hour when it lands. Blue Origin said the bidding will be unsealed on May 19 before a final-stage live online auction on July 12 when the winner is announced. The proceeds will go to the company's foundation, Club for the Future, which aims to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM. Blue Origin has not yet published its prices but its clientele is expected to mainly be wealthy individuals. Virgin Galactic, the company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, is also developing a spacecraft capable of sending clients on suborbital flights. Some 600 people have booked flights, costing $200,000 to $250,000. Elon Musk's SpaceX is planning orbital flights that would cost millions of dollars and send people much further into space.

Blue Origin will fly first crew to space in July

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, the space rocket company, is now formally challenging the $2.9 billion moon lander contract which was recently awarded to its rival&nbsp;SpaceX by NASA.

On Monday, Blue Origin said it had filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office, accusing the space agency of making tweaks for contract bidders at the last minute.

"NASA has executed a flawed acquisition for the Human Landing System programme and moved the goalposts at the last minute",&nbsp;Reuters cited Blue&nbsp;Origin&nbsp;as saying in a statement.

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"Their decision eliminates opportunities for competition, significantly narrows the supply base, and not only delays, but also endangers America's return to the moon. Because of that, we've filed a protest with the GAO”, it added.

While Elon Musk’s SpaceX made the bid alone, Bezos’ Blue Origin made the bid in partnership with Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Draper.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/astronauts-arrive-at-space-station-aboard-spacex-endeavour-379931" hreflang="en">Astronauts arrive at space station aboard SpaceX Endeavour</a>

The world’s first and third richest people respectively, Bezos and Musk have been competing to be at the helm of man’s return to moon for the first time since 1972.

The contract will see NASA’s first commercial human lander, constituent of its Artemis programme. NASA says that the lander will carry in it two American astronauts to the moon’s surface.

"We should accomplish the next landing as soon as possible… If they hit their milestones, we have a shot at 2024," Steve Jurczyk, NASA's acting administrator said during the announcement made virtually on April 17.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/mars-sucks-people-troll-elon-musks-idea-of-space-colonisation-379864" hreflang="en">'Mars sucks!' People troll Elon Musk's idea of space colonisation</a>

Apollo landings from 1969-1972 mark the only human visits to the moon’s surface. Now, NASA is relying on private companies to send astronauts to the moon to complete its space ambition projects.

But before humans make the journey, SpaceX will be required to conduct a test flight of the lander to the moon.

(With inputs from agencies)

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, the space rocket company, is now formally challenging the $2.9 billion moon lander contract which was recently awarded to its rival SpaceX by NASA.

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, the space rocket company, is now formally challenging the $2.9 billion moon lander contract which was recently awarded to its rival SpaceX by NASA. On Monday, Blue Origin said it had filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office, accusing the space agency of making tweaks for contract bidders at the last minute. "NASA has executed a flawed acquisition for the Human Landing System programme and moved the goalposts at the last minute", Reuters cited Blue Origin as saying in a statement. "Their decision eliminates opportunities for competition, significantly narrows the supply base, and not only delays, but also endangers America's return to the moon. Because of that, we've filed a protest with the GAO”, it added. While Elon Musk’s SpaceX made the bid alone, Bezos’ Blue Origin made the bid in partnership with Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Draper. Also read: Astronauts arrive at space station aboard SpaceX Endeavour The world’s first and third richest people respectively, Bezos and Musk have been competing to be at the helm of man’s return to moon for the first time since 1972. The contract will see NASA’s first commercial human lander, constituent of its Artemis programme. NASA says that the lander will carry in it two American astronauts to the moon’s surface. "We should accomplish the next landing as soon as possible… If they hit their milestones, we have a shot at 2024," Steve Jurczyk, NASA's acting administrator said during the announcement made virtually on April 17. Also read: 'Mars sucks!' People troll Elon Musk's idea of space colonisation Apollo landings from 1969-1972 mark the only human visits to the moon’s surface. Now, NASA is relying on private companies to send astronauts to the moon to complete its space ambition projects. But before humans make the journey, SpaceX will be required to conduct a test flight of the lander to the moon. (With inputs from agencies)

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin protests NASA's moon lander contract with Elon Musk's SpaceX

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's aerospace company Blue Origin is planning to conduct an 'astronaut rehearsal' during the 15th launch of its New Shepard rocket, dubbed NS-15, which is targeting liftoff on Wednesday from Launch Site One in West Texas.&nbsp;

This flight is a 'verification step' for the vehicle and operations prior to flying astronauts, Blue Origin said on Monday.&nbsp;

During the mission, astronaut operational exercises will be conducted in preparation for human space flight. &nbsp;

The primary operations will entail Blue Origin personnel standing in as astronauts entering into the capsule prior to launch. &nbsp;

These astronauts will climb the launch tower, get into their seats, buckle their harnesses, and conduct a communications check from their seat with CAPCOM, the Capsule Communicator.&nbsp;

The tower operations team will prepare the capsule cabin for launch and then briefly close the capsule hatch. &nbsp;

The astronauts will then exit the capsule prior to launch, Blue Origin said, adding that the launch window for the flight on Wednesday opens at 8 am CDT (Central Daylight Time).&nbsp;

Post-landing, the astronauts will get inside the capsule to rehearse hatch opening, and exiting the capsule at the landing site. &nbsp;

However, it is still not clear when Blue Origin will launch the first commercial flights.&nbsp;

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's aerospace company Blue Origin is planning to conduct an 'astronaut rehearsal' during the 15th launch of its New Shepard rocket, dubbed NS-15, which is targeting liftoff on Wednesday from Launch Site One in West Texas.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's aerospace company Blue Origin is planning to conduct an 'astronaut rehearsal' during the 15th launch of its New Shepard rocket, dubbed NS-15, which is targeting liftoff on Wednesday from Launch Site One in West Texas. This flight is a 'verification step' for the vehicle and operations prior to flying astronauts, Blue Origin said on Monday. During the mission, astronaut operational exercises will be conducted in preparation for human space flight. The primary operations will entail Blue Origin personnel standing in as astronauts entering into the capsule prior to launch. These astronauts will climb the launch tower, get into their seats, buckle their harnesses, and conduct a communications check from their seat with CAPCOM, the Capsule Communicator. The tower operations team will prepare the capsule cabin for launch and then briefly close the capsule hatch. The astronauts will then exit the capsule prior to launch, Blue Origin said, adding that the launch window for the flight on Wednesday opens at 8 am CDT (Central Daylight Time). Post-landing, the astronauts will get inside the capsule to rehearse hatch opening, and exiting the capsule at the landing site. However, it is still not clear when Blue Origin will launch the first commercial flights.

Blue Origin's next launch to run 'astronaut rehearsal' 

Several hundred people have already booked their tickets and begun training for a spectacular voyage: a few minutes, or perhaps days, in the weightlessness of&nbsp;space.

The mainly wealthy first-time&nbsp;space&nbsp;travellers are getting ready to take part in one of several private missions which are preparing to launch.

The era of&nbsp;space&nbsp;tourism is on the horizon 60 years after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in&nbsp;space.

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Two companies, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, are building spacecraft capable of sending private clients on suborbital flights to the edge of&nbsp;space&nbsp;lasting several minutes.

Glenn King is the director of spaceflight training at the National Aerospace Training and Research Center, a private company based in Pennsylvania which has already trained nearly 400 future Virgin Galactic passengers for their trips.

"The oldest person I trained was 88 years old," King said.

The training programme lasts two days -- a morning of classroom instruction and tests in a centrifuge.

This involves putting the trainee in a single-seat cockpit at the end of a 25-foot-long (eight-metre-long) arm and spinning them around to simulate gravitational force, or G force.

A medical team is on hand at all times.

'Enjoy the view'&nbsp;

NASA's training for shuttle crew members lasted two years but the duration has been drastically reduced by the commercial&nbsp;space&nbsp;industry because of the "numbers of people that want to get up in&nbsp;space," King said.

"We can't take two years to train these people," he said. "We've got to get this down to a matter of days to get these people up.

"These people aren't crews, just strictly passengers," he noted.

"For a passenger, there isn't a lot of work for you to do other than just relax, endure the G forces of launch or reentry.

"And then once you're orbital, enjoy the view out the window."

King said the pass rate for the training course has been "99.9 percent."

The cost ranges from several thousand dollars to as much as $10,000 if special care or medical monitoring is needed.

The single biggest barrier to "spaceflight for all" remains the price tag.

Some 600 people have booked flights on Virgin Galactic, the company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, and thousands more are on a waiting list.

The cost per flight? $200,000 to $250,000.

Virgin Galactic hopes to take its first private astronaut on a suborbital flight in early 2022, with eventual plans for 400 trips a year.

Blue Origin, owned by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, has not yet published prices or a calendar.

Money aside, pretty much anybody could go on a spaceflight.

"You don't have to be in perfect physical health now to be able to go to&nbsp;space," King said. "I've trained people with prosthetic devices. I've trained people with pacemakers.

"All kinds of people."

The US Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees the aviation industry, recommended in 2006 that future "commercial passengers" on suborbital flights fill out a "simple medical history questionnaire."&nbsp;

Orbital flights which go further and last longer would require a more detailed form and blood tests, X-rays and urine specimens.

Such flights, which cost millions of dollars each, are envisioned by SpaceX, the company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, which has at least four planned over the coming years.

'Inspiration4'&nbsp;

The first launch of only civilians, baptised "Inspiration4," is scheduled to take place in September.

The American billionaire Jared Isaacman has fully paid for a trip powered by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will take him and three passengers on a three-day flight in low Earth orbit.

In January 2022, the company Axiom&nbsp;Space&nbsp;plans to send a former astronaut and three newcomers to the International&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Station.

It eventually plans trips to the ISS every six months.

Seven "space&nbsp;tourists" visited the&nbsp;space&nbsp;station between 2001 and 2009.

A company called&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Adventures served as the intermediary for those flights and has partnered with SpaceX to send four customers in orbit around the Earth next year.

A Japanese billionaire, Yusaku Maezawa, has reserved a flight on SpaceX's "Starship" in 2023 and is inviting eight other people to come along for the ride.

So when can we expect&nbsp;space&nbsp;tourism to become commonplace?

Difficult to say, said Robert Goehlich, an adjunct assistant professor at&nbsp;Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide.

"Suborbital and orbital tourist flights are currently near to happen," Goehlich said. "The exact forecast is a challenge for each scenario.

"A new investor might accelerate any schedule," he said, "while an accident might decelerate any planning."

Three major factors will need to come together: flights will have to be safe, profitable and environmentally friendly.

"In the long run, thinking about a mass&nbsp;space&nbsp;tourism market, surely sustainability aspects will play a more dominant role," Goehlich said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Several hundred people have already booked their tickets and begun training for a spectacular voyage: a few minutes, or perhaps days, in the weightlessness of space.

Several hundred people have already booked their tickets and begun training for a spectacular voyage: a few minutes, or perhaps days, in the weightlessness of space. The mainly wealthy first-time space travellers are getting ready to take part in one of several private missions which are preparing to launch. The era of space tourism is on the horizon 60 years after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space. Two companies, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, are building spacecraft capable of sending private clients on suborbital flights to the edge of space lasting several minutes. Glenn King is the director of spaceflight training at the National Aerospace Training and Research Center, a private company based in Pennsylvania which has already trained nearly 400 future Virgin Galactic passengers for their trips. "The oldest person I trained was 88 years old," King said. The training programme lasts two days -- a morning of classroom instruction and tests in a centrifuge. This involves putting the trainee in a single-seat cockpit at the end of a 25-foot-long (eight-metre-long) arm and spinning them around to simulate gravitational force, or G force. A medical team is on hand at all times. 'Enjoy the view' NASA's training for shuttle crew members lasted two years but the duration has been drastically reduced by the commercial space industry because of the "numbers of people that want to get up in space," King said. "We can't take two years to train these people," he said. "We've got to get this down to a matter of days to get these people up. "These people aren't crews, just strictly passengers," he noted. "For a passenger, there isn't a lot of work for you to do other than just relax, endure the G forces of launch or reentry. "And then once you're orbital, enjoy the view out the window." King said the pass rate for the training course has been "99.9 percent." The cost ranges from several thousand dollars to as much as $10,000 if special care or medical monitoring is needed. The single biggest barrier to "spaceflight for all" remains the price tag. Some 600 people have booked flights on Virgin Galactic, the company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, and thousands more are on a waiting list. The cost per flight? $200,000 to $250,000. Virgin Galactic hopes to take its first private astronaut on a suborbital flight in early 2022, with eventual plans for 400 trips a year. Blue Origin, owned by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, has not yet published prices or a calendar. Money aside, pretty much anybody could go on a spaceflight. "You don't have to be in perfect physical health now to be able to go to space," King said. "I've trained people with prosthetic devices. I've trained people with pacemakers. "All kinds of people." The US Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees the aviation industry, recommended in 2006 that future "commercial passengers" on suborbital flights fill out a "simple medical history questionnaire." Orbital flights which go further and last longer would require a more detailed form and blood tests, X-rays and urine specimens. Such flights, which cost millions of dollars each, are envisioned by SpaceX, the company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, which has at least four planned over the coming years. 'Inspiration4' The first launch of only civilians, baptised "Inspiration4," is scheduled to take place in September. The American billionaire Jared Isaacman has fully paid for a trip powered by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will take him and three passengers on a three-day flight in low Earth orbit. In January 2022, the company Axiom Space plans to send a former astronaut and three newcomers to the International Space Station. It eventually plans trips to the ISS every six months. Seven "space tourists" visited the space station between 2001 and 2009. A company called Space Adventures served as the intermediary for those flights and has partnered with SpaceX to send four customers in orbit around the Earth next year. A Japanese billionaire, Yusaku Maezawa, has reserved a flight on SpaceX's "Starship" in 2023 and is inviting eight other people to come along for the ride. So when can we expect space tourism to become commonplace? Difficult to say, said Robert Goehlich, an adjunct assistant professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide. "Suborbital and orbital tourist flights are currently near to happen," Goehlich said. "The exact forecast is a challenge for each scenario. "A new investor might accelerate any schedule," he said, "while an accident might decelerate any planning." Three major factors will need to come together: flights will have to be safe, profitable and environmentally friendly. "In the long run, thinking about a mass space tourism market, surely sustainability aspects will play a more dominant role," Goehlich said. (With inputs from agencies)

All aboard! These companies are building spacecraft to send people to space

Billionaire&nbsp;Jeff&nbsp;Bezos-backed space venture Blue Origin said that it has delayed the launch of its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket to the fourth quarter of next year.

The postponement comes after Space Force did not select New Glenn for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 Launch Services Procurement, the company said in a blog.

Freed from his daily obligations at Amazon.com Inc, Jeff Bezos is expected to turn up the heat on his space venture, Blue Origin, as it faces a pivotal year and fierce competition from Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Blue Origin has lost out to the rival after SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) were awarded billions of dollars' worth of US&nbsp;national security launch contracts which begin in 2022. ULA is a joint venture of Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp.&nbsp;

Now, Blue Origin is battling to win a competition with SpaceX and Dynetics to develop a new lunar lander for NASA’s potentially multibillion-dollar push to return humans to the moon in a few years. Dynetics is owned by Leidos Holdings Inc.

Winning the lunar lander contract - and executing its development - are seen by Bezos and other executives as vital to Blue Origin establishing itself as a desired partner for NASA, and also putting Blue on the road to turning a profit.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;SpaceX on Sunday (Eastern time) delayed the launch of Falcon 9 carrier rocket.

The launch has been delayed by a day. Falcon 9 will take 60 Starlink satellites into orbit around the Earth after its lift-off that will now be attempted on March 1. As per Indian time, the launch will take place on Tuesday, March 2. The launch will take place from Cape Canaveral (Kennedy) Air Force Station in Florida.

"Auto-abort at T-1:24 ahead of tonight's Falcon 9 launch of Starlink; next launch opportunity is tomorrow, March 1 at 8:15 p.m. EST," tweeted SpaceX as it delayed the launch.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos-backed space venture Blue Origin said that it has delayed the launch of its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket to the fourth quarter of next year.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos-backed space venture Blue Origin said that it has delayed the launch of its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket to the fourth quarter of next year. The postponement comes after Space Force did not select New Glenn for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 Launch Services Procurement, the company said in a blog. Freed from his daily obligations at Amazon.com Inc, Jeff Bezos is expected to turn up the heat on his space venture, Blue Origin, as it faces a pivotal year and fierce competition from Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Blue Origin has lost out to the rival after SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) were awarded billions of dollars' worth of US national security launch contracts which begin in 2022. ULA is a joint venture of Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp. Now, Blue Origin is battling to win a competition with SpaceX and Dynetics to develop a new lunar lander for NASA’s potentially multibillion-dollar push to return humans to the moon in a few years. Dynetics is owned by Leidos Holdings Inc. Winning the lunar lander contract - and executing its development - are seen by Bezos and other executives as vital to Blue Origin establishing itself as a desired partner for NASA, and also putting Blue on the road to turning a profit. Meanwhile, SpaceX on Sunday (Eastern time) delayed the launch of Falcon 9 carrier rocket. The launch has been delayed by a day. Falcon 9 will take 60 Starlink satellites into orbit around the Earth after its lift-off that will now be attempted on March 1. As per Indian time, the launch will take place on Tuesday, March 2. The launch will take place from Cape Canaveral (Kennedy) Air Force Station in Florida. "Auto-abort at T-1:24 ahead of tonight's Falcon 9 launch of Starlink; next launch opportunity is tomorrow, March 1 at 8:15 p.m. EST," tweeted SpaceX as it delayed the launch.

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin delays New Glenn debut to late 2022

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