Jeff Bezos launches into space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard

Jeff Bezos is set to become the second billionaire this month to reach the edge of space, and he’ll do so aboard a rocket built by a company he launched.

The founder of Amazon, who stepped down as CEO earlier this month, is scheduled to lift off early Tuesday with three crewmates on the maiden flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch vehicle.

Riding with Bezos on the planned 11-minute flight will be his brother, Mark Bezos, as well as the oldest and youngest people ever to fly into space – 82-year-old pioneering female aviator Wally Funk and Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old physics student. Daemen, whose seat was paid for by his father Joes, the CEO of Somerset Capital Partners, was put on the crew after the winner of an anonymous $28 million auction for the flight had to postpone due to a scheduling conflict.