Blue Origin-Jeff Bezos historic flight to space in pictures

Jeff Bezos was accompanied by a hand-picked group: his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and an 82-year-old aviation pioneer from Texas — the youngest and oldest to ever fly in space.

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket launches carrying passengers Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, brother Mark Bezos, Oliver Daemen and Wally Funk, from its spaceport near Van Horn, Texas. (AP)

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos blasted into space Tuesday on his rocket company’s first flight with people on board, becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft. The launch and landing lasted for just over 10 minutes as the astronauts experienced zero gravity and weightlessness.

Bezos was accompanied by a hand-picked group: his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and an 82-year-old aviation pioneer from Texas — the youngest and oldest to ever fly in space.

Named after America’s first astronaut, Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket soared from remote West Texas on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, a date chosen by Bezos for its historical significance.

Scroll down to see photos:

1Who's who on Blue Origin's first crewed flight

Blue Origin's maiden crewed flight on Tuesday involved four people who crossed the Karman line, which separates Earth's atmosphere from space, for the very first time.

Jeff Bezos and his brother Mark are best friends. Jeff shared the moment he surprised his sibling, six years his junior, by asking him to join the mission in a video that went viral on Instagram last month.

At 82, barrier-breaking woman aviator Wally Funk became the oldest ever astronaut. The fourth crew member was Oliver Daemen, 18, who became the youngest astronaut. He holds a private pilot's license and is a space enthusiast who will study physics in university this fall. (AP)

2Blue Origin comms check confirmed

As Jeff Bezos along with brother Mark, Wally Funk and Oliver Daeman is strapped into the New Shepard spacecraft, communications have been confirmed and the four astronauts are ready to go into space. (AP)

3Soon-to-be astronauts prepare to board capsule

The passengers of the Blue Origin walk up the stairs to prepare to enter the capsule near Van Horn, Texas, Tuesday, July 20, 2021.

The recycled rocket and capsule that carried up Tuesday’s passengers were used on the last two space demos, according to company officials. (Blue Origin via AP)

4T-12 minutes to launch

New Shepard is all set to launch into space with Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and three other crew members. (AP)

5New Shepard launches

The passengers had several minutes of weightlessness to float around the spacious white capsule. The window-filled capsule landed under parachutes, with Bezos and his guests briefly experiencing nearly six times the force of gravity, or 6 G’s, on the way back. (AP)

6Best day ever: New Shepard capsule lands on earth

“Best day ever,” Jeff Bezos said after the capsule touched down on the desert floor at the end of the 10-minute flight.