Blue Origin – the private space-flight company founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos – has successfully launched its New Shepard rocket and capsule for the eighth time.
Launching from Texas on Sunday, the New Shepard mission reached its target altitude of 66 miles (107km) – a long way short of the 211-mile altitude of the International Space Station's low Earth orbit.
The sub-orbital New Shepard rocket is capable of being landed and reused after launch, much like SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets – but it doesn't have the Falcon 9's power to get into orbit.
Unlike Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has conducted resupply missions for the International Space Station and launched satellites, Blue Origin is targeting the space tourist market – giving passengers the opportunity to experience weightlessness for a brief period.
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Weight difference between New Shepard and the Falcon 9 shows in the different way the rockets land.
The New Shepard rocket almost hovers for a moment before straightening up and landing down, unlike the Falcon 9, whose thrusters have to blast just to stop the rocket crashing into the landing pad and exploding.
Despite the similarities between the companies, they are not true rivals pursuing the same customers.
While both Blue Origins and SpaceX are led by billionaires, Mr Bezos' wealth exceeds Mr Musk's almost seven times – with over $132bn (£96bn) to his name compared to Mr Musk's $19bn (£13bn).
The pair previously swapped barbed comments on Twitter as their rival private space projects jostle for public attention.
Back in March, Mr Bezos topped Forbes magazine's annual rich list for the first time, overtaking Microsoft's Bill Gates.
Mr Bezos 54, founded the online retail giant in 1994. He has seen his fortune swell over 12 months in which Amazon's share value has nearly doubled.
Last month Amazon reported a 28% rise in annual profits to just over $3bn (£2bn).
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