‘It’s time!’ Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin teases ticket sales for the first seats on its New Shepard rocket that will take tourists into orbit for at least ten minutes
- Blue Origin is set to start selling tickets for its space tourism business
- The Jeff Bezos-owned firm made the announcement on Twitter Thursday
- Pricing has not been shared, but more information is set to be released May 5
- The trip will see New Shepard carry the capsule with six people into orbit
- The capsule will then spend at least 10 minutes in zero gravity
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin announced Thursday tickets will soon go on sale for seats aboard its New Shepard space tourism rocket.
Pricing was not revealed, but more details are set to be released May 5 to those who submit their name and email on the Blue Origin website.
The release was shared via Twitter, along with a video showing Bezos driving to the rocket at the firm’s launch sit in West Texas.
‘Guys, how exciting is this – come on!,’ the billionaire says in the short clip that shows New Shepard touching down, followed by the capsule that will take tourists into space.
Scroll down for video
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin announced Thursday tickets will soon go on sale for seats aboard its New Shepard space tourism rocket. The release was shared via Twitter, along with a video showing Bezos driving to the rocket at the firm’s launch sit in West Texas
New Shepard, which stands 60 feet tall, was specifically designed for Blue Origin’s space tourism venture.
The rocket has successfully completed 15 test launches, with the latest on April 14.
The capsule that rides atop New Shepard seats six passengers and is equipped with reclining seats – each of which has a window that are said to the ‘the largest to fly into space.’
Cameras line the interior, allowing travelers to share their memories that many may say are out of this world.
Pricing was not revealed, but more details are set to be released May 5 to those who submit their name and email on the Blue Origin website. Pictured is the New Shepard rocket moments before touching down on the launch pad
Although Blue Origin has yet to reveal the cost and date of the vacations to space, it plans to shoot tourists 62 miles above Earth’s surface.
At this altitude, passengers will experience weightlessness due to the zero gravity and see the curve of the planet with the darkness of space as the backdrop.
Paying customers will spend as much as 10 minutes in zero gravity before returning to Earth, with massive windows to provide a view that is out of this world.
Bezos did note that passengers board 30 minutes before liftoff and shared some advice in 2017 interview.
‘Go to the bathroom in advance,’ Bezos said.
The capsule that rides atop New Shepard seats six passengers and is equipped with reclining seats
Each seat has a window that are said to the ‘the largest to fly into space’
‘The whole thing, from boarding until you’re back on the ground, is probably 40 or 41 minutes. So you’re going to be fine.’
‘You could dehydrate ever so slightly if you have a weak bladder.’
Thursday’s announcement is a step in the right direction for Blue Origin, following a misstep last week when NASA chose Elon Musk’s SpaceX over Bezos’ firm to build the lunar lander for the Artemis mission.
On April 16, the American space agency made the official announcement, which includes SpaceX’s $2.9 billion contract to build the lunar lander that is reportedly much lower than what competitors bid.
The Washington Post shared the news hours before saying the Elon Musk-owned firm beat out Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Dynetics.
Bezos owns the Post, which branded Musk’s win a ‘stunning victory’ over his Amazon tycoon’s rival effort.
The official statement from NASA confirms SpaceX will be the only one to take humans back to the moon for the first time since the Apollo mission 48 years ago.
The Washington Post also wrote: ‘The defeat is a huge blow Blue Origin, and to Bezos’.
However, 10 days after the announcement Blue Origin filed a protest with the federal Government Accountability Office against NASA.
Although Blue Origin has yet to reveal the cost and date of the vacations to space, it plans to shoot tourists 62 miles above Earth’s surface. The capsule will stay in orbit for around 10 minutes before returning home
Musk took to Twitter to tease Bezos over that lawsuit on Monday evening, and replied to a tweet sharing a New York Times story about the space wrangle, writing: ‘Can’t get it up (to orbit) lol.’
News of Bezos’ 50-page protest was first reported on Monday by The New York Times.
Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin, said NASA’s decision to award the contract to SpaceX was based on flawed evaluations.
Smith also accused NASA of placing a bigger emphasis on cost than it said it would. He said the space agency should have stuck to its oft-stated desire to award the contract to two companies.
‘It’s really atypical for NASA to make these kinds of errors,’ Smith told the Times.
‘They’re generally quite good at acquisition, especially its flagship missions like returning America to the surface of the moon.
‘We felt that these errors needed to be addressed and remedied.’
Source: Read Full Article
