After a two-year break

Blue Origin sent more tourists into space

The passengers took off on Sunday morning from the west of the US state of Texas.(Bild: AFP/Blue Origin)

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has sent another six people into space for a short trip with his space company Blue Origin. It was the seventh manned launch of the largely automated rocket system "New Shepard", as Blue Origin announced. 

During the flight, the capsule separated from the rocket, temporarily reached an altitude of around 100 kilometers above the earth with zero gravity and then landed again with the help of parachutes. This time, five men and one woman were on board, including French entrepreneur and brewery owner Sylvain Chiron (52) and 90-year-old American Ed Dwight.

Dwight after his trip into space(Bild: AFP/Blue Origin)

Former Air Force pilot Dwight was the first African-American to undergo astronaut training in the 1960s, but was ultimately not selected for NASA space flights. The last time the Blue Origin company sent six space tourists into space was in August 2022.

The first flight in July 2021 included Amazon founder Bezos himself on board. The second flight in October 2021 was attended by the then 90-year-old Canadian actor William Shatner, who had become world-famous for his role as 'Captain Kirk' in 'Star Trek'. The third flight in December 2021 was attended by the daughter of the first American in space, Laura Shepard Churchley, among others.