Jeff Bezos and 3 guests will be going on the first manned sub-orbital flight on Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle.
Stream of the last launch without passengers:
Replay - New Shepard Mission NS-15 Webcast
Richard Branson managed to pull his stunt just a few days earlier (Richard Branson is Winning the Billionaire Race to Manned Sub-Orbital Flight and Bezos is ANGRY) and Jeff didn't take that very well (Space-Twitter Memes Jeff Bezos).
The main differences between the systems is that Blue Origin's New Shepard is a true suborbital rocket, whereas Virgin Galactis's VSS Unity is a sub-orbital space-plane.
Tim Dodd with an extensive breakdown how these two luxury trips vary:
Blue Origin VS Virgin Galactic // How do they compare?
The rocket will launch from Corn Ranch, Texas, from their own launch site. The stack is powered by liquid hydrogen and oxygen. Rocket and capsule will separate at an altitude of 75km and continue the unpowered trajectory beyond 100 km. The rocket will return and land autonomously (like SpaceX's Falcon 9 bossters). The Capsule will land under parachutes in the dessert. The whole trip will last 10 minutes. Passengers will enjoy 4 minutes of weightlessness.
Scott Manley with some background information: Richard Branson Tries To Beat Jeff Bezos To Space, But Jeff's Final Passenger Is Amazing Choice
Where to watch: 20.07.21; 13:30 UTC
Blue Origin expects to fly three times with passengers this year, and many more times next year. October is targeted for the second manned flight.
Ticket prices are so far unknown for New Shepard. Tickets for VSS Unity were sold for $ 250 k.
Extensive preview of the flight: Replay: First Human Flight Pre-Launch Mission Briefing
Vote for my witness: @blue-witness
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