So are Bezos and Branson Astronauts?
 

I heard the Press putting them into that hallowed Category. Buzz is probably rolling over in his grave.

No

Nope, no reentry, sub orbital, doesn't count in my book.

I agreed, but you know the mindset of people these days. Same as now just wearing a Fire and Police uniform, makes them instant heros, even though they may not have done anything hero level. They changed the standard to include like the X-15 run pilots, years ago!.

Up and down? No not even close.

If one can self declare gender and race, why not profession?

They experienced weightlessness. You can do that on the Vomit Comet.

A 90 minute flight.

No.

Laugh all you want. Bezos has confirmed through simple modifications, he can add two spherical fuel cells to the base of his rocket giving him ability to shoot for the moon.

I heard it called the “Phallus 1”.

No.

They're passengers, tourists.

When (if) autonomous flying cars come to be do the people riding in them get wings pinned on their chests??

I'm a commercial pilot by profession, I earn my living by the training I received flying helicopters. Civilian trained. Even though I'm proud of my accomplishments and experience I've never worn aviator's wings because it just doesn't feel quite the same (in my opinion) as the wings worn by military aviators.

Putting Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson in the same category as Alan Shepard and Hoot Gibson is not right.

Land and return? Re-Entry and not burn up?

Laika was more astronaut than Bezos.

“Scrotal Thrust Assist”? Brilliant!

I would say no , but either one could buy Cape Canaveral if they wanted to 😁

I think it's great. Better news story than most of the BS we've seen recently.....IMHO, of course......;)

Buzz is still with us by the way...

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/ulti...ons/icon14.gif

But what would really light people up would be if he got a cat.

And talked about moving his HQ to the Space Needle.

He's an Astronaut in the same way a club racer is a Race Car Driver.

Look at his wall eyes.

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/suborbital
sub·or·bit·al (sŭb-ôr′bĭ-tl)
adj.
1. Having or following a trajectory of less than one orbit.

Oh ****, sorry Buzz!!!!! My bad for not checking.

The term "Astronaut" (and "Cosmonaut") implies a level of education, training, and dedication to research and testing - in short being either a test pilot, a scientist, or both.

IMHO, neither billionaire qualifies, although Bezos can perhaps make a slightly better case, because he technically went over the recognized altitude line (60km) that defines being in space.

I also think that it is absurd for these billionaires to be repeating what NASA did in the late 1950s & early 1960s. Branson flew an aircraft-launched rocket plane slower & lower than any number of X-15 flights and Bezos flew lower than Alan Shepard's first flight.

Did Bezos buy the re-entry design from Musk?

LMFAO:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xW-Ch590IsI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! BRANSON, BEZOS OR THAT 18 YEAR OLD KID ARE NOT BY ANY MEANS ASTRONAUTS!

They are tourists.

To call them astronauts is an insult to those who actually risked their lives to advance the exploration of space. HOWEVER , I would consider Ms. Wally Funk an astronaut. She has paid her dues and deserves the recognition.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Funk

Agree 100%. Quite an accomplished woman, I'm surprised I never heard of her before.

She actually has had quite the career. Really interesting woman!

"weightless environment of space"

that's the saddest thing I've read in a while.

Does that mean that if I was in an elevator and all systems failed, that I'd be in the weightless environment of space until I hit the ground?

Folks in the ISS float around, but they are in no way weightless, they are in constant free fall (they just keep missing the earth), but if they were to stop, they'd weigh almost what they weigh on earth, and they orbit at ~250 miles up.

62 miles up make you an astronaut. No. It's freakin' cool, and Id love to take that ride, but he's not remotely an astronaut.

While I typically don't care for his politics, Bezos was classy to do this on the anniversary of the moon landing. Branson moved his up just to do it before.

Both are building some big cool toys. I'm not seeing a downside to that.

No way no how they have the right stchuff.

Call me when they pass through the Van Allen belt.

_

You think she'll get a refund from Virgin Galactic?

Exactly

well, NASA has always called 100km the rule
Even some X15 pilots did that, and got the badge..

The first pioneers that passed it, were considered heroes of their day.. And so I think we have to keep it simple, and just follow the NASA rule

Bezos, by NASA's rule is now an Astronaut
Branson , despite his claim, isn't. he didn't pass 100 km

Nope, they’re liftboys, not astronauts.

Btw, The Buzz is alive and kicking
He follows space exploration a great deal, is big on "get to Mars"

He has been following Blue Origin and gave the first annual Buzz Aldrin Space Innovation Award to @JeffBezos and @BlueOrigin‬ some time ago..

So maybe watch out before you claim somebody rolls over in his grave over something you disagree with.

Imagine the relief her back is experiencing in this free fall.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1626865947.jpg

yeah, but she takes hard opposite G on the other end of the parabole :D
How strong are those spaghetti straps???

I'm sure the photographer was ready