Tonight, mission accomplished. Jeff Bezos launches into space in the first unpilited, fully civilian suborbital flight, ushering in a new era of space tourism.

Two, one.

The world's richest man becomes an astronaut.

Best day ever.

The 10-minute historic flight, exactly 52 years after the Apollo 11 moon mission.

How the moon landing inspired a 5-year-old Bezos and what's next for Blue Origin.

Plus, Gail King sits down with the billionaire and his brother.

Summer surge, alarming news tonight that the Delta variant accounts for more than 80% of new COVID cases

and the new study about the effectiveness of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

Trump ally arrested. Why was a former campaign advisor to President Trump charged with acting as a foreign agent?

More than a million acres burn. Wildfires explode out west as two blazes merge and become a megafire.

How smoke prompted air quality warnings all the way to New York City.

Olympic Games in Jeopardy? What the head of Tokyo 2020 is saying tonight.

Busting that back-to-school budget, why are prices for clothes and school supplies skyrocketing?

Sleepy Tom, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback, visits the White House, bringing President Biden a jersey and some election-related jokes.

And a dream deferred but not denied.

Wally Funk's long road into space and the history books.

This is the CBS Evening News with Nora O'Donnell, reporting from the nation's capital.

Good evening, and thank you so much for joining us on this busy Tuesday night.

All eyes were on West Texas today when billionaire Jeff Bezos blasted off with a crew that included the youngest and oldest people ever to go into space.

The picture-perfect takeoff in landing took place exactly 52 years after that famous Apollo 11 moon mission.

Bezos hopes today's 10-minute, 65-mile-high space hop will be one giant leap for space tourism and exploration.

...