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'Dad's going up in a rocket!' French businessman set for launch
The Peninsula
Washington: He arrived in Texas, tried on his flight suit for the first time, and is now preparing to live out his childhood dream. On Sunday, Fren...
Washington: He arrived in Texas, tried on his flight suit for the first time, and is now preparing to live out his childhood dream.
On Sunday, French entrepreneur Sylvain Chiron will board a Blue Origin rocket and blast off into space, joining the select group of humans who have ventured beyond Earth's bounds.
"I never thought I'd get to do this," the 52-year-old, who hails from the mountainous southeastern region of Savoy, told AFP in an interview two days before his adventure.
"We're going to be astronauts for 15 minutes, so a bit like pretend astronauts, but astronauts nonetheless!"
Blue Origin's spaceflights are brief hops just beyond the edge of space and back again -- but still allow passengers to admire the curve of the Earth while free floating during a few minutes of weightlessness.