The Billionaire Race To Space

When we think of the possibility and near certainty of commercial space travel in the near future, there are only three main players. 

Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon.com and his Blue Origin space travel creation.

Blue Origin was created to develop technologies with an objective of orbital to sub orbital flights. With multiple test flights having been completed since its announcement in 2015 it has already achieved an altitude of 333,000 ft or 100km and a top speed of over 3500kmph. Bezos expects to make his blue origin space travel debut this year and decided to take 82 year old retired astronaut Wally Funk on his journey with him. 

Sir Richard Branson Founder of Virgin and his newly formed Virgin Galactic. 

With it's sleak twin fuselage and conjoined twin aircraft structure. Founded in 2004 and has been in the making for some time and was the first to enter the race. After multiple failed tests, eventually it has now achieved a successful altitude of 51.1 miles officially entering the realms of outer space by definition and would be a significantly different experience than just sub orbital altitudes giving a full scale space exploration adventure.

Elon Musk, founder of multiple successful companies such as Paypal, Tesla, and his most recent creation SpaceX. 

The last to enter the race is SpaceX but it is the most ambitious. Although last to enter it was the first to successfully complete a privately funded orbital flight, the Falcon 1 in 2008. 

13 years later in 2021 it has been recognised for launching the most satelites in to space in a single flight with a total of 143 on Falcon 9. Having said that it has had a bumpy road to get here in a noteworthy example is its failed test flight where it exploded upon landing.