July 21, 2021 VAN HORN, TEXAS (AP) â Jeff Bezos blasted into space yesterday on his rocket companyâs first flight with people on board, becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft. The Amazon founder was accompanied by a hand-picked group: his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and an 82-year-old aviation pioneer from Texas â the youngest and oldest to ever fly in space. Named after Americaâs first astronaut, Blue Originâs New Shepard rocket soared from remote West Texas on the 52 nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, a date chosen by Bezos for its historical significance. He held fast to it, even as Virgin Galacticâs Richard Branson pushed up his own flight from New Mexico in the race for space tourist dollars and beat him to space by nine days.