Jeff Bezos space flight: Launch time, flight duration and how to watch
20 July 2021, 09:50 | Updated: 20 July 2021, 09:55
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos will be blasted into space today, as part of Blue Origin's New Shepard launch.
Mere days after Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic spaceflight, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos will be heading to the edge of space today in Blue Origin's first-ever human flight.
Bezos himself will be on-board - along with his brother Mark, 82-year-old aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and the company's first paying customer, Oliver Daemen.
The four men will travel inside an astronaut capsule atop of the New Shepard rocket (named after US pilot Alan Shepard), built by Bezos' private space company.
Here's everything you need to know about today's spaceflight from Launch Site One in Texas - including the schedule, duration and how to watch live.
Our astronauts have completed training and are a go for launch. #NSFirstHumanFlight pic.twitter.com/rzkQgqVaB6
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) July 19, 2021
What time is the Blue Origin launch?
While the livestream will commence from 7.30am ET (12.30pm BST), the launch itself is scheduled to take place at 9.00am ET - or 2.00pm in the UK.
As with any space launch, however, there may be a slight delay.
How long is the flight?
On Sunday, Blue Origin announced that everything was set for its first-ever human spaceflight.
The passengers include the Amazon billionaire, his brother Mark, aviation pioneer Wally Funk and 18-year-old student, Oliver Daemen - Blue Origin's first paying customer.
In total, the flight lasts around 12 minutes and will propel the crew over 100km above the Earth's surface, before re-entering the atmosphere.
The passengers will be weightless for about four minutes before they're returned to Earth.
So far, the New Shepard rocket has completed 15 un-crewed test launches.
How much does a Blue Origin flight cost?
Ariane Cornell, who looks after the company's sales, revealed at a press briefing: "From a sales perspective, we are particularly excited because we’re flying our first paying customer on New Shepard."
Back in June, a seat on the flight was auctioned off at a staggering $28million (£20.5million) in under seven minutes.
However, Daemen has stepped in for the mystery bidder.
Can I watch the launch in the UK?
You sure can!
Blue Origin will be live streaming the launch on its website here, as well as on YouTube.
New Shepard First Human Flight
The company will also be posting updates on its Twitter page.
