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Space Tourism

But Bozo Bezos is bringing a passed over female pilot with him.

Blue Origin chief Jeff Bezos has chosen an 82-year-old pilot who was denied astronaut wings because of her gender to rocket into space with him in just three weeks.

The company announced on Thursday that Wally Funk will be on board the July 20 launch from west Texas, flying in the capsule for the 10-minute hop as an “honoured guest”.

She will join Amazon boss Mr Bezos, his brother and the winner of a charity auction, as the first people to ride a New Shepard rocket.
Ms Funk is among the so-called Mercury 13 women who went through astronaut training in the 1960s, but never made it to space — or even Nasa’s astronaut corps — because they were female. Back then, all of the Nasa astronauts were military test pilots and male.

In an Instagram video posted by Mr Bezos, Ms Funk said she feels “fabulous” about being asked to launch.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-40327070.html
 
The flight window for the Virgin Galactic launch, scheduled to take Richard Branson into space, starts this Sunday 11th July at 07:00 in New Mexico - which is 14:00 in UK (BST).
Should any delay occur, there is a fair chance that the billionaire Virgin supremo may miss the football at 20:00.
Hope he takes a smartphone with him and that Virgin Mobile coverage extends to 80km straight up, so he won't miss any updates while he's floating around in microgravity!

https://www.theguardian.com/science...ght-billionaire-space-tourism-race-jeff-bezos
 
This is a big story in the U.S.

With all that money I would just enjoy a quiet life and not take chances.
 
Being a successful businessman is all about taking chances.

And its good advertising.

(They are doing a livestream...)
 
I'm fairly certain that it wouldn't be beyond the wit of Mr Branson to ensure a facility for watching t'footy should he so desire.
But then again he might have something more interesting to look at.

Besides, previous flights have been carried aloft, done the rocketty bit, and come back down to earth, all within a couple of hours.
I'm sure that with a 3.30pm launch he can be back in his hotel room with plenty of time to spare, assuming of course he isn't accidentally turned into minced-Branson due to some unscheduled rapid disassembly event.
 
And we will all nod wisely and say "I told you so."

(Me being a rotten cynic; it will be a big tragedy of course...might upstage footie events even, a safe flight will not).
 
I'm just getting Stephen Colbert. Where's my space?
 
Blimey its all a lot of talking and back slapping, clap-happy, guff isn't it.
Why can't they just say "It'll be flying up to the release height and then we'll get back to you with 2 minutes to go".
 
get-on-with-it1.png
 
Yes, bit too much back-slapping for me. I wanted to see the flight to 40 km up.
 
If I hear the phrase "How about you, Veronica??" one more time I think i'll lose my pieces.

It's reaching the same amount of repetition as 'Next Slide Please', FFS.
 
They are trying to sell me something.

Its not edible, so I dont want it.

BUT ITS BETTER THAN FOOTY
 
It being Branson I was hoping for something that felt more british. This is too american for me.
 
"We are heading to space"

No you're not.
You don't reach the threshold to be considered as 'going into space', the 'karman line' at 100km.
 
Veronica is particularly high-pitched isn't she?

They might as well have got Michelle Wolf to do the commentary.
 
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