Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ space company set out Tuesday morning on the first commercial flight for its New Shepard rocket and capsule. It was to send four civilians to the edge of space and beyond, about 13 miles farther than rival Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic reached last week with his SpaceShipTwo rocket and ship.
The company’s stubby rocket and capsule rose from its launch pad at the heart of the West Texas desert, with a thin jet of fire streaming off the engine. It was the 15th test flight without passengers, and engineers deemed New Shepard, which flies like a satellite instead of an airplane, ready to carry people.
Bezos ‘ brother Mark was among the four on board, who joined his older sibling for the ride. Also aboard was Mary Wallace “Wally” Funk, 82, a female aviation pioneer who is the oldest person ever to reach space. She was part of NASA’s Mercury 13 astronaut group and dreamed of flying in space. Oliver Daemen, 18, was a last-minute addition to the crew, replacing an anonymous bidder who opted for a later flight.
It was a smooth, quick trip to orbit, and the joyful passengers emerged gleefully from the capsule, waving to cheering Blue Origin employees, who had lined up around the facility to watch. After a brief period of weightlessness, they returned to Earth by free falling at first; then, the capsule deployed a set of parachutes to slow down its descent and soften its landing. The four climbed out, greeted by hugs and broad smiles from friends and family.
It was the most significant day yet for Blue Origin, founded by Bezos in 2000 to make private space travel a reality for ordinary people. The e-commerce giant’s deep pockets have allowed him to bankroll the company while it develops bigger, faster rockets and spaceships for government and corporate clients. But the program has stumbled since an uncrewed September 2022 crash placed its program on hold while it carried out fixes and awaited regulatory approval. The company is working on a more giant, reusable rocket called New Glenn to launch satellites. But it remains a distant competitor to SpaceX, which won NASA’s contract for launching Department of Defense satellites.
It is developing its version of a lunar lander that could one day send humans to Mars. Blue Origin has stepped up efforts to secure government contracts for New Glenn and its spaceships in recent months. But that work still needs to be done, and worries about its financial prospects have hammered the company’s stock. Its shares closed down about 7% at $210.49 on Wednesday. They have been volatile this year as the market has punished high-flying technology companies. They have lost a quarter of their value this year and are down more than 80% in the past three years. Investors are also concerned about a possible slowdown in the US economy and a trade war with China that could hurt revenue.
