billionaires Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson They are the latest heroes in the new era of space racing, joined by Elon Musk from SpaceX. Next Tuesday (20) founder Amazon (e Until recently CEO) will go to space in person, in his company’s spacecraft blue origin.
Musk is the most consolidated in technology, having made several launches to the International Space Station (International Space Station) with NASA and Internet satellites starlink, but it was not in space. Briton Branson was with Virgin Galactic The first three who got there, last Sunday – but only on the edge, at an altitude of “only” 86 km. Bezos Doubts this achievement It intends to hike more than 100 km.
The three billionaires have invested a lot of time and money in space exploration. Bezosrichest man in the world He recently left the executive role of Amazon, a company he set up in his garage to dedicate himself to nobler and more fun causes, such as space conquest and philanthropy.
How will the trip be?
The system used by Blue Origin is similar to that of SpaceX. A reusable rocket, called the New Shepard, will launch a manned capsule capable of accommodating up to six people. The capsule will detach from the rocket – which will land independently on a ground base – and will take a short turn, float for about three minutes, and then return with the help of three large parachutes.
It will be the company’s 16th flight – but it’s the first with passengers. they will be:
Damon E panic They will be the youngest and largest people to enter space in history.
In 1960, Wally Funk was part of the “Mercury 13” program, a group of qualified women who could be NASA’s first astronauts. But they were rejected because of their gender. Now, Funk will finally fulfill his dream.
how to watch
New Shepard will take off next Tuesday (20), 10:00 am (GMT), if there is no setback, from the Blue Origin facilities, in Texas (USA). Everything will be broadcast live starting at 8:30 am On the company’s website.
spatial tourism
The method used by Virgin Galatic, which brought Branson and five employees into space, is different. It began with the takeoff of an alien twin-body aircraft, the SpaceShipTwo, carrying the VSS Unity spacecraft in the middle.
Reaching an altitude of 15 km, the pilots launched the spacecraft and returned the aircraft to the base. Then VSS Unity unleashed its enormous power and ascended almost vertically to the edge of space.
It took about five minutes of weightless passion for the ship to return to land and land, as smooth as an airplane.
This type of technology, although less ambitious, is pioneering and more suitable for tourists. So much so that Virgin Galactic plans to start offering commercial suborbital flights next year. About 600 tickets have already been sold – including those of Elon Musk and Wally Funk.
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