Blue Origin preparing for its first-ever crewed rocket launch

The space company is getting ready to launch people into space for the first time. On board will be Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, aviator Wally Funk, and physics student Oliver Daemen to space.

TEXAS - Billionaire Jeff Bezos' space company, Blue Origin, is getting ready to launch people into space this week.

The crew is scheduled to lift off Tuesday from a facility near Van Horn. They will be aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, for the aerospace company's first-ever crewed launch.

The historic launch will carry Bezos, his brother Mark, 82-year-old aviator Wally Funk, and 18-year-old physics student Oliver Daemen to space. Daemen will reportedly be the youngest person in space, getting the opportunity after his father's auction bid won him a seat on the ‘New Shepherd’ space capsule. In addition, Funk will become the older person ever to go to space.

"Astronaut training is currently underway and will be completed tomorrow. Based on practice training with stand-in astronauts, we are fully confident that our astronauts will be ready to fly on Tuesday," the company explained Sunday during a briefing.

Bezos aims to become the second person to ride his own rocket into space, after Virgin Galactic founder and billionaire Richard Branson successfully reached the edge of space on July 11, flying 53 miles above the Earth before safely touching down.

Liftoff is scheduled for Tuesday at 9 a.m. Watch it live on FOX 35.

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