Private space travel company Blue Origin is planning for its first crewed test flights in 2017, and paying passengers in 2018, founder Jeff Bezos said during the first-ever media tour of the venture's manufacturing facility. Reusable New Shepard vehicles are being designed to autonomously fly six passengers more than 62 miles above Earth, high enough to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the planet set against the blackness of space. How much are tickets going for? While Bezos did not unveil a price, rival Virgin Galactic is selling rides for $250K, while XCOR Aerospace is charging about $100K.
