BIG blow to Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson as US says they are not astronauts yet

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and British billionaire businessman Richard Branson, who are dreaming of calling themselves astronauts by taking a space walk, have suffered a severe setback.

The US government has made it clear that both billionaires cannot be granted astronaut status according to the New Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

What are the new rules?

According to a BBC report, the new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules say astronaut hopefuls must be part of the flight crew and make contributions to space flight safety. These are the first changes since the FAA wings programme began in 2004.

First change since 2004

The update to the Commercial Astronaut Wings Program was announced on Tuesday, the same day Bezos flew to the edge of space in the Blue Origin spaceship.

To qualify as a commercial astronaut, space travel goers will have to travel 50 miles above the earth’s surface, completed by both Bezos and Branson. However, due to the amendment, they did not meet the second criteria. The agency says astronauts beyond altitude sit on flight to also cooperate in activities that are essential for public safety.

However, there are two other ways to earn astronaut wings in the US – through the military or NASA. Astronaut wings were first awarded to astronauts Alan Shepard Jr and Virgil Grissom in the early 1960s for their participation in the Mercury Seven programme.