Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket lifted off carrying a group of six, including 90-year-old Ed Dwight|blueorigin|Instagram

Blue Origin successfully carried passengers to the edge of space yesterday, ending its hiatus of nearly two years since its New Shepard rockets were grounded over safety concerns in 2022. It also carried the oldest person to space.

The rocket had on board the group that included Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller, Gopi Thotakura and Ed Dwight (90_—a retired US Air Force captain who was NASA’s first Black astronaut candidate in 1961, but he was never selected for crewed missions by the agency.

The mission also marked the Jeff Bezos company’s seventh crewed flight and followed the success of an uncrewed science mission in December.

Blue Origin, eyeing rivalry with SpaceX, plans to unveil the New Glenn rocket this year, which can launch cargo into orbit. It also aims for moon voyages with NASA astronauts later in the decade.