The Amazon founder’s space company marked a major milestone Thursday with the first test flight of its New Glenn rocket.

Blue Origin has launched its New Shepard rocket—a reusable sub-orbital rocket used for space tourism—27 times. It's named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space. Bezos flew in New Shepard on July 20, 2021, crossing the Kármán line, the dividing line between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space.

The uncrewed New Glenn rocket took off at 2:03 a.m. EST from Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Blue Origin said.

“Beautiful,” Mr. Musk commented on one of the images. Image Jeff Bezos announcing the Blue Origin New Shepard space system in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2017.Credit...Nick Cote for The New ...

New Glenn’s maiden voyage ramps up an ongoing space race between Blue Origin and SpaceX, which were respectively founded the world’s two richest people. Bezos currently has an estimated net worth of $237 billion, while Musk’s fortune stands at $428.5 billion.

Blue Origin's successful maiden launch of New Glenn rocket made billionaire Jeff Bezos hungry. He ate breakfast at a Florida diner in Florida after.

Named after the first American to orbit Earth, the New Glenn rocket blasted off from Florida, soaring from the same pad used to launch NASA’s Mariner and Pioneer spacecraft a half-century ago.

An enormous Blue Origin rocket meant to challenge SpaceX ... space technology company owned by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, had been rolled out days ago to the launch pad in preparation ...

Jeff Bezos' company Blue Origin launched its New Glenn mega-rocket for the first time. The milestone is a leap for reusable rocketry.

The launch was a first for the Jeff Bezos-founded Blue Origin. Here's what the New Glenn rocket accomplished, and what's next.

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