Billionaire Jeff Bezos' Journey to Space

Billionaires are making their way to space, paving the way for the future of commercial space exploration. Blue Origin's Jeff Bezos and crew successfully launched and landed on Tuesday, July 20. This crew, included Blue Origin founder and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Jeff's brother Mark Bezos, pioneering female pilot Mary Wallace “Wally” Funk, and college student Oliver Daemon. With this successful spaceflight, Funk (82) is now the oldest person to have flown in space and Daemon (18) the youngest. Follow Blue Origin's journey to the final frontier.

In partnership with The Washington Post, Discovery covered it live on SPACE LAUNCH LIVE: BLUE ORIGIN & JEFF BEZOS GO TO SPACE on Discovery and Science Channel at 8:00am ET. Tonight at 10P ET, Discovery will air a 1 hour special, JEFF BEZOS IN SPACE: BLUE ORIGIN TAKES FLIGHT, highlighting the morning’s event, along with interviews from after the launch, behind-the-scenes material, and background stories of Blue Origins and Jeff Bezos.

(Updated July 20, 2021)

July 19, 2021

By: Discovery

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Amazon.com CEO and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, left, debuts a launch vehicle on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2015, as Florida Gov. Rick Scott applauds during a press conference at launch complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Bezos said his company would bring over 300 new jobs to Florida's space coast.

Jeff Bezos, chief executive officer of Amazon.com Inc. and founder of Blue Origin LLC, speaks at the unveiling of the Blue Origin New Shepard system during the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.

Jeff Bezos, chief executive officer of Amazon.com Inc. and founder of Blue Origin LLC, sits inside the high fidelity crew capsule mock up of the Blue Origin New Shepard system during the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., on Wednesday, April 5, 2017. Bezos has been reinvesting money he made at Amazon since he started his space exploration company more than a decade ago, and has plans to launch paying tourists into space within two years.

Storm clouds and a rainbow appear over Jeff Bezos Blue Origin Aerospace Manufacturer building as Hurricane Dorian approaches Florida, on August 31, 2019 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Dorian could be a Category 4 storm as it approaches the state and possibly making landfall as early as Monday somewhere along the east coast.

The sign outside of Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin operations in Van Horn, Texas. Mr. Bezos is scheduled to lift off from the launch pad at 8AM local time on Tuesday, July 20 in Blue Origin's sub-orbital New Shepard rocket in the first human spaceflight for his company. Mr. Bezos is to be joined by his brother Mark Bezos, 18 year old Oliver Daemen, and 82 year old Wally Funk.

This will be the 16th flight for New Shepard, but the first with humans aboard. It is named after the first American to travel to space and Mercury astronaut, Alan Shepard.

VAN HORN, TEXAS - JULY 20: Founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos prepares to launch with The New Shepard Blue Origin rocket on July 20, 2021 in Van Horn, Texas. Mr. Bezos and the crew are riding in the first human spaceflight for the company. (Photo by Blue Origin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

VAN HORN, TEXAS - JULY 20: The New Shepard Blue Origin rocket sits on the launch pad before Jeff Bezos, along with his brother Mark Bezos, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, and 82-year-old Wally Funk prepare to launch on July 20, 2021 in Van Horn, Texas. Mr. Bezos and the crew are riding in the first human spaceflight for the company.

VAN HORN, TEXAS - JULY 20: The New Shepard Blue Origin rocket prepares to lift-off from the launch pad carrying Jeff Bezos along with his brother Mark Bezos, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, and 82-year-old Wally Funk prepare to launch on July 20, 2021 in Van Horn, Texas. Mr. Bezos and the crew are riding in the first human spaceflight for the company. (Photo by Blue Origin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

VAN HORN, TEXAS - JULY 20: The New Shepard Blue Origin rocket lifts-off from the launch pad carrying Jeff Bezos along with his brother Mark Bezos, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, and 82-year-old Wally Funk prepare to launch on July 20, 2021 in Van Horn, Texas. Mr. Bezos and the crew are riding in the first human spaceflight for the company.

VAN HORN, TEXAS - JULY 20: Blue Origin's New Shepard crew capsule descends while carrying Jeff Bezos along with his brother Mark Bezos, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, and 82-year-old Wally Funk on July 20, 2021 in Van Horn, Texas. Mr. Bezos and the crew are riding in the first human spaceflight for the company. (Photo by Blue Origin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

VAN HORN, TEXAS - JULY 20: Blue Origin's New Shepard flies into space from the launch pad carrying Jeff Bezos along with his brother Mark Bezos, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, and 82-year-old Wally Funk on July 20, 2021 in Van Horn, Texas. Mr. Bezos and the crew are riding in the first human spaceflight for the company. (Photo by Blue Origin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

VAN HORN, TEXAS - JULY 20: Blue Origin's New Shepard crew capsule descends on the end of its parachute system carrying Jeff Bezos along with his brother Mark Bezos, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, and 82-year-old Wally Funk on July 20, 2021 in Van Horn, Texas. Mr. Bezos and the crew are riding in the first human spaceflight for the company.

VAN HORN, TEXAS - JULY 20: Blue Origin's New Shepard crew capsule lands on the end of its parachute system carrying Jeff Bezos along with his brother Mark Bezos, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, and 82-year-old Wally Funk on July 20, 2021 in Van Horn, Texas. Mr. Bezos and the crew are riding in the first human spaceflight for the company. (Photo by Blue Origin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

VAN HORN, TEXAS - JULY 20: Jeff Bezos along with his brother Mark Bezos, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, and 82-year-old Wally Funk leave Blue Origin's New Shepard crew capsule after landing on July 20, 2021 in Van Horn, Texas. Mr. Bezos and the crew rode in the first human spaceflight for the company. (Photo by Blue Origin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)