The ‘space race’ among billionaires has been accelerating lately. Last summer, Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin took one of the first steps in this regard and sent a crew of 4, including Bezos, into space. In addition, billionaires such as Elon Musk and Richard Branson organized touristic trips to space with SpaceX and Virgin Galactic companies and took important steps in this regard.
The purpose of these companies is to send non-astronauts to space by organizing touristic trips to space and to increase commercial flights. Now Jeff Bezos’ space company is making a new tourist trip. According to the statements, a special guest will also take part in this flight. Laura Shepard Churchley, the daughter of Alan Shepard, the first American in space, will also follow her father’s footsteps and travel to the infinite depths.
The daughter of the second person in space is also going to space
According to the statements made by the company, the suborbital flight called NS-19 will be carried out today. According to the statements made, the six-man crew will also include Laura Shepard Churchley, the daughter of Alan Shepard, the first American and the second person to go into space. This 11-minute flight will take place from the spaceport in Texas at 18:45 with a New Shepard rocket.
It should be noted that the name Alan Shepard is very important for America and Blue Origin. Shepard traveled to space in 1961 and became the second human to do so, after Yuri Gagarin. For this reason, Blue Origin named the rockets it developed as ‘New Shepard’, inspired by Alan Shepard.
Now Laura Shepard is traveling to space, following in her father’s footsteps. Shepard, the director of a science-supporting foundation, said in his statements about this situation, “It is very exciting that a real Shepard will fly with a rocket called Shepard. I am proud of what my father did. I am very happy and excited to take part in this flight.”
A parent and their child will go to space for the first time
In addition, other crew members were also mentioned in the statements. According to Blue Origin, in flight; Former American football player and famous television personality Michael Strahan, philanthropist and space exploration company Dylan Taylor, investor Evan Dick, founder of Bess Ventures Lane Bess and Cameron Bess will also be present. In addition, the Bess duo will go down in history as the first parent-child to go into space.
This flight will be Blue Origin’s third flight within the scope of ‘space tourism’. In addition to the flight in the summer, the company also organized a suborbital trip last October. William Shatner, whom we know from the famous science fiction series Star Trek, also took part in this trip.
You can follow the flight that will be made today live from this link.
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