96 THE WEEK • JULY 29, 2018
PEOPLE
SPACE ODYSSEY
Jeff Bezos’s startup Blue Origin will charge people
between 0 1.37 crore and 0 2.05 crore if they want
to sign up for a space ride next year. Blue Origin
has completed eight test fl ights of its New Shepard
space capsule from its launch pad in Texas, but
none with passengers onboard. Th e capsule can fl y
six passengers over 100km above Earth where they
can experience “a few minutes of weightlessness”.
With Bezos facing stiff competition from fellow
entrepreneurs Richard Branson and Elon Musk, the
race to space has just gotten a lot more exciting.MARKLE LOSES SPARKLE?
It seems the smile of Meghan Markle, the duchess of
Sussex, might not be as sunny as it looks. According to
her father Th omas Markle, his daughter is terrifi ed. “I see
it in her eyes, I see it in her face and I see it in her smile,”
he said. “I’ve seen her smile for years. I know her smile.
I don’t like the one I’m seeing now. Th is one isn’t even a
stage smile—this is a pained smile.” He seems to be en-
joying his new role as royal basher, calling the royal family
“outdated” and Meghan’s new dress code “ridiculous”.AFPREUTERS