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As it happenedended

Jeff Bezos space launch: Latest updates as Amazon founder launched into space on Blue Origin rocket

Follow the latest updates

Andrew Griffin,Justin Vallejo
Tuesday 20 July 2021 19:46 EDT
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Jeff Bezos launches himself into space on Blue Origin rocket

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Jeff Bezos and three fellow passengers have made a pioneering journey into space.

The trip saw the space tourists take a brief trip off the Earth before coming back down again.

Mr Bezos has promoted the trip as a breakthrough moment for space tourism, which arguably represents the first time that paying, civilian passengers have been sent to space on board a private rocket. It is also the first time that humans have ever ridden on board a spacecraft made by the Amazon founder’s private space company, Blue Origin.

But at the same time, the trip has been criticised by many as an indulgence, with the billionaire spending money and other resources that could be better used to improve life on Earth.

Andrew Griffin20 July 2021 09:40

YouTube live stream goes up ahead of flight

Blue Origin’s live stream of today is up already, if you want to set a bookmark, tell it to remind you, or do anything else. You can find it here:

We’ll also be streaming the launch live on this page.

Andrew Griffin20 July 2021 09:43

Bezos continues to face criticism over flight

Jeffrey Bezos might want the focus to be on his trip to space today. But plenty of people are pointing out that he still has questions to answer about his behaviour on Earth.

This has become something of a theme as the Blue Origin rocket sets off: that space tourism might look a little gauche in a time where people can hardly afford to live on Earth. That Mr Bezos’s fortune comes from Amazon helps play into that same criticism.

Andrew Griffin20 July 2021 11:16

Stream begins in just over an hour

We’re getting close to the launch – of the live feed, if not the rocket itself. You can get all the times here.

Andrew Griffin20 July 2021 11:20

Streams go live from launch site

The ever-streaming NASASpaceflight, who do a great job tracking launches from SpaceX to Nasa, are now live from the Blue Origin launch site. You can see their video here:

They have noted that the connection isn’t great at the West Texas location, so the quality might suffer later on. It’s looking good for now though.

Andrew Griffin20 July 2021 12:28
Andrew Griffin20 July 2021 12:50

Flights to the edge of space are not just ‘joyrides’ for the rich, say scientists

While the edge-of-space is an arbitrary boundary defined differently by various government bodies and organisations, and is also the current tourist destination for billionaires likeJeff BezosandRichard Branson, sub-orbital flight may offer an alternative platform for some science experiments conducted at the International Space Station, say scientists.

Andrew Griffin20 July 2021 13:06

Nasa astronauts grow chili peppers on space station in experiment that will help ‘successfully send people to Mars’

In a breakthrough that could be useful to anyone going to Mars, or Blue Origin customers who want a more interesting in-flight meal, astronauts are growing red and green chili peppers in space.

Andrew Griffin20 July 2021 13:09

Here, from The Atlantic’s Marina Koren, is what the scenery looks around the launch site in West Texas.

Andrew Griffin20 July 2021 13:10

Jeff Bezos being driven to rocket

The passengers are on their way to the rocket, “down the road to space”, as the commentator on Blue Origin’s live feed says.

(Blue Origin)
Andrew Griffin20 July 2021 13:22

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