Bezos Launches to Space, Aiming to Reignite His Rocket Company’s Ambitions

The Amazon founder and three others lifted off in Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft, fulfilling a goal more than 20 years in the making.

VAN HORN, Texas — Jeff Bezos, the richest human in the world, went to space on Tuesday. It was a brief jaunt — rising more than 65 miles into the sky above West Texas — in a spacecraft that was built by Mr. Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin. “Best day ever,” Mr. Bezos exclaimed once the capsule had settled in the dust near the launch site. The flight, even though it did not enter orbit, was a milestone for the company that Mr. Bezos, the founder of Amazon, started more than 20 years ago, the first time a Blue Origin vehicle carried people to space.