At the post-flight press conference, Bezos displays the aviation glasses, which once belonged Amelia Earhart.Jeff Bezos is now at the edge of space. Does that mean that the world's wealthiest man is an astronaut?Experts have reacted skeptically to the claim made by the former CEO of Amazon's spaceflight company.Blue Origin, a suborbital spaceflight firm owned by Bezos announced via Twitter that "our astronauts have completed their training and are ready for launch." At 9:22 AM EDT, Bezos, along with three other passengers, Mary "Wally", Funk, an 82 year-old aviator, and Oliver Daemen (an 18-year old son of a Dutch CEO of hedge funds), completed their successful flight. They touched down in a puffy of dust near the New Shepard rocket launch site in West Texas.Similar: Photos: Blue Origin's New Shepard Mission to SpaceBezos' passenger spacecraft reached the top of its ascent by crossing the Krmn Line, a boundary at 62 miles (100 km) above sea level. This is the line that scientists use to mark the boundaries between Earth's atmosphere and outer space.This could appear to be an easy case. The richest man on earth went to space so he must have been an astronaut. According to space experts, it takes more than crossing a boundary in order to be awarded the title.Scott Manley tweeted "Training" as a response to Blue Origin. Remember that Wally Funk has more space flight experience than any astronaut currently in orbit. Funk has flown more than 19,600 hours in a variety aircraft and has also taught over 3,000 people how to fly.Funk was an astronaut candidate as part of 1961 Mercury 13 but was denied spaceflight by NASA due to her gender. She is the only crew member with flight training.To be eligible for a NASA training program, an astronaut must hold a master's in a STEM field, two years of relevant work experience, or 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time. They must then pass a rigorous physical exam before they can begin a two-year-long, basic training course. This will teach them everything they need to know, from how to fly a spacecraft to communicating with the Russian Mission Control Center.After completing basic training, NASA astronauts undergo an assessment for suitability. They are then assigned to a mission. This may take them several years to prepare for. Crews of the International Space Station spend six months in space and train for two years.More than 18,000 people applied for NASA's 2017 astronaut class, but only 12 were chosen to continue their training.Related: How do you become an astronaut?Blue Origin's lead flight director Steve Lanius stated that Bezos and his crew had received only 14 hours of training in the two days prior to taking off.These 14 hours were the only training that Funk and his crewmembers had received, aside from previous experience.Blue Origin was the first company to launch four passengers, including Jeff Bezos. They made it into space aboard New Shepard. Blue Origin image creditCharles Bolden, an astronaut and former NASA administrator, stated that astronauts must be able to fly the vehicle and perform emergency tasks. The New Shepard is an autonomous craft that will not allow its passengers to do this.Charles Bolden, an ex-NASA administrator and astronaut said that tourism is about trying to remove the human interaction from the play. This was before the launch. I was shocked that they were walking up those steps. They will be most stressed if they get in the car.As more tourists take to suborbital flights, the blurring of the definitions of "astronaut" could be a frequent topic of linguistic debate.NASA's official definition of an astronaut is not helpful in settling the score. It refers to both a crewmember aboard spacecrafts and someone who "space sailing", which derives its name from the Greek word astronaut.The debate over where space starts continues. Some say it begins at the Krmn Line, where the atmosphere is too thin to support a normal aircraft flying. Some claim that it may extend as far as 93 miles (150km). Bezos could, by one definition, be an astronaut. He isn't even an astronaut.Business Insider was told by Edwin Turner, Princeton University professor of astrophysical science, that "I am reasonably certain there's no compelling definition for the edge of space'."Turner states that space is defined as the lowest altitude at which a craft can orbit the Earth without needing to lift itself. It then becomes slowed down by atmospheric friction and pulled back to Earth.He said that this could mean that one aircraft may arrive in space sooner than another or that the line might be moved by changes to the atmosphere.Maybe relying on definitions alone is not helpful. It might be helpful to ask him if he is qualified to work as an astronaut after his short suborbital adventure. If the answer is no, then the job and title should be left to the professionals.Original publication on Live Science
