Di Lovepreet Sunda
Jeff Bezos, president of Amazon, is also the founder of Blue Origin, a private company that develops
concepts and technologies to promote human spaceflight operations. Among the many merits of the
Kent-based company, there is also that of having successfully built and tested reusable rockets
thanks to a recovery system by means of missile retractors, and habitable capsules with parachute
braked landing. After a more than six-year development of a space tourism rocket, called the New
Shepard, Blue Origin set the date for its first commercial passenger mission, July 20, and announced
that one of the first passengers will be the winner of an online auction, in which anyone can place a
bid on the company’s website. On this first flight, the auction seat will be the only seat for sale to the
public with the other seats occupied by persons selected by the company. In addition, to be able to
travel in the “New Shepard” rocket, you will have to meet basic requirements such as being 18 years
old, being physically fit enough to climb seven flights of stairs in a minute and a half, having a height
between 1,52 and 1,93 m, weigh between 50 and 101 kg. You will also need to be able to fasten and
unfasten the seat belt in less than 15 seconds, be able to spend up to an hour and a half secured in
the capsule with the hatch closed, and finally withstand up to 5.5 G in force during the descent.
