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It forced me to shed some of the cynicism that came very naturally from someone covering politics, and it is -- these are people out in the middle of nowhere trying to do something bigger than themselves. all the stuff about the billionaires, if you're covering space, the billionaire aspect is sort of minor because there are others funding this, but they are building more spaceships and that's what kept me going. this is a vehicle flown by pilots. this is in the spirit of the barnstormers. richard branson, you know, the silk scarf is flapping in the wind is a real image here, and that's differ...

This would happen. i never thought we'd be flying spaceships like this on a regular basis. so thank you, richard. >> i think we have a question at the back. >> sir richard, amelia from channel 9 australia. in terms of making history and beating out your rival, i know you've been very clear this was not a race, but you have won. how does that feel now to have come first, and what words do you have for your competitors and friends in the space tourism industry? >> i've said this so many times. it really wasn't a race. we're just delighted that everything went so fantastically well. we wish jeff ...

About 1% of US human spaceflights have ended in a fatal accident, but the New Shepard rocket seems relatively safe.

Man, one giant leap for mankind. >> reporter: forget the last space race. neil armstrong and nasa won that hands down. this space race is going to be much closer, and one corner west texas actually amazon's jeff bezos, the founder of space tourism business blue origin and just up the road in netflix virgin galactic founder richard branson. both have launched successful test flights preparing for future paying passengers. >> and we have liftoff. >> reporter: bezos' blue origin will carry up to six passengers remote control, rocketing into sub orbit for three minutes of flying weightless. virgin...

Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images; Blue Origin Bezos, his brother, and an auction winner will experience weightlessness for three minutes. This spaceflight will be unlike any prior US launch, with no pilot and possibly no spacesuits. Jeff Bezos is preparing to rocket into space on July 20, but he won't be there for very long. With Earth shining outside the windows, Bezos will float around the cabin of his company's New Shepard spaceship for just three minutes before he has to strap into his seat again and fall back to the ground. Blue Origin, the rocket company th...