From Cambridge to the Edge of Space: An Adventure-filled World by Hamish Harding

Last year, Hamish Harding became the first Briton to fly Blue Origin's fifth manned space mission. Photo: Felix Kunze/Wikimedia via CC0 1.0 < p>From the depths of the Mariana Trench to the rigors of space, Hamish Harding, a British adventurer, is no stranger to crossing borders.

The Cambridge-trained jet pilot and aviation broker set 16 flight speed records, including the Guinness World Record for the fastest flight around the Earth over the North and South Poles in an airplane.

Last year, the 58th He became the first Briton to fly the fifth Blue Origin manned space mission, making him one of the few tourists to cross the Karman Line, marking the beginning of space.

He joined Buzz in 2016. Aldrin, an Apollo astronaut, during the expedition to Antarctica in which Aldrin became the oldest person to reach the South Pole at the age of 86.

Four years later, Mr. Harding returned with his son Giles, who at the age of 12 became the youngest person to reach the South Pole.

In 2021, Mr. Harding, along with American explorer Victor Vescovo, made a 12-hour dive into the Challenger Abyss, the deepest known points on the sea floor at a depth of about 36,000 feet. He spent a record four hours and 15 minutes underwater, walking 4.8 miles on the ocean floor.

Mr. Vevesco also traveled with Mr. Harding on a Blue Origin flight, making them the first crew to travel both in the Challenger Abyss and in space.

During Mr. Harding's record-breaking circumnavigation, the temperature air has dropped to -83C, just three degrees above the aircraft's legal limit, forcing the crew to descend from 5,000 feet to avoid catastrophic cold damage.

But he successfully completed the flight with Colonel Terry Wirts, former commander of the International Space Station, in 46 hours 39 minutes and 38 seconds, breaking the previous record of 54 hours, seven minutes and 12 seconds.

«I'm delighted» , he said then. “We pushed the boundaries of aeronautics and the aircraft did it flawlessly.”

The Titanic Titan Submarine

Mr Harding, who lives in Dubai with his wife Linda and sons Rory, 18, and Giles, now 15 years, said his love of space and aviation began at the age of five, when he watched the Apollo moon landings.

He is the founder and chairman of Action Aviation, which buys and sells business jets. In 2017, he unveiled the first business jet in Antarctica by landing on a purpose-built icy runway.

Last year, Morgan Freeman presented him with the Living Legends of Aviation award. The award was also given to Mr. Aldrin, Sir Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.

Mr. Harding is also Chairman of the Middle East Chapter of the Explorers Club, an international organization based in New York. in 1904 for success in exploration.