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Jeff Bezos — Is he an astronaut or not?

Under new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules Jeff Bezos and his group of space travelers may not get his astronaut wings.

This April 24, 2015 handout photograph obtained courtesy of Blue Origin shows Jeff Bezos at New Shepard's West Texas launch facility before the rocket's maiden voyage The two companies leading the pack in the pursuit of space tourism say they are just months away from their first out-of-this-world passenger flights -- though neither has set a firm date. Virgin Galactic, founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, and Blue Origin, by Amazon creator Jeff Bezos, are racing to be the first to finish their tests -- with both companies using radically different technology. — © AFP
This April 24, 2015 handout photograph obtained courtesy of Blue Origin shows Jeff Bezos at New Shepard's West Texas launch facility before the rocket's maiden voyage The two companies leading the pack in the pursuit of space tourism say they are just months away from their first out-of-this-world passenger flights -- though neither has set a firm date. Virgin Galactic, founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, and Blue Origin, by Amazon creator Jeff Bezos, are racing to be the first to finish their tests -- with both companies using radically different technology. — © AFP

Under new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules announced the same day that Jeff Bezos and his group of space travelers boarded the Blue Origin spaceship, the billionaire may not get his astronaut wings.

For the first time in 17 years, the FAA decided to update its Commercial Astronaut Wings Program restrictions, according to CNN News. And the change in criteria doesn’t have anything to do with altitude, either.

There is no international law defining the edge of space. The U.S. military, the Federal Aviation Administration, and NASA all set the boundary of space at 50 miles (80 kilometers) above ground, although different countries use differing altitudes.

But based on 80 kilometers – both Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos made it to the edge of space, says the BBC.

How can you become a space tourist?
British billionaire Richard Branson experiences weightlessness aboard a Virgin Galactic spacecraft – Copyright AFP Prakash SINGH

However, putting altitude aside, the FAA now says would-be astronauts must have also “demonstrated activities during a flight that were essential to public safety or contributed to human space flight safety.”

What that means, exactly, would be up to the discretion of the FAA. And it will also be up to the discretion of the FAA to let the intrepid edge-of-space travelers keep their astronaut wings.

According to Observer.com, however, it’s likely that no one aboard New Shepard would qualify because it’s an autonomous vehicle. By that same logic, Virgin billionaire Richard Branson wouldn’t qualify for his trip to space days earlier, nor would anyone on his space trip – other than the pilots.

When asked what the change in policy means for the most recent space tourists, an FAA spokesperson said that, in order to get astronaut wings, a nomination is required. “There are no nominations currently before the FAA to review,” the spokesperson said.

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We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

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