Though the New Shepard capsule can carry up to six people, Bezos is bringing just three others along on this inaugural journey. Bezos' flight will come just nine days after British billionaire Richard Branson took his own supersonic joy ride to the edge of space, the result of a surprise announcement that came from his space company, Virgin Galactic, days after Bezos announced his intention to go to space. But suborbital space tourism isn't all that Branson and Bezos are pursuing with their space ventures. Virgin Galactic is also planning to launch wealthy tourists to suborbital space, though it developed a much different vehicle to get there. Though the risks are not necessarily astronomical for Bezos' jaunt to suborbital space, as his space company Blue Origin has spent the better part of the last decade running New Shepard through a series of successful test flights.

Source: CNN July 17, 2021 12:56 UTC