Jeff Bezos to Fly to Space on Blue Origin's First Human Flight

Jeff Bezos to Travel on Blue Origin’s Inaugural Human Spaceflight

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, has announced his participation as a passenger on the very first human space launch undertaken by his spaceflight company, Blue Origin. This historic event is scheduled for July 20th.

The announcement was made by Bezos himself on Monday morning via his Instagram account. He also revealed that his brother, Mark, will accompany him on this pioneering journey.

Details of the Flight and Auction

Bezos and his brother will be joined by the victor of an online auction currently being hosted by Blue Origin. The highest bid received for a seat on this flight currently stands at $2.8 million.

This launch, utilizing Blue Origin’s suborbital and reusable New Shepard rocket, marks the first time the vehicle will carry human passengers.

A Unique Approach to First Human Flight

It is noteworthy that Blue Origin is opting to conduct its inaugural human spaceflight with a paying passenger. This approach differs from that of other space companies.

For comparison, Virgin Galactic completed numerous flights with test pilots and astronauts prior to planning a trip with Sir Richard Branson. Similarly, Elon Musk has not yet personally flown on a SpaceX launch, although he has indicated a future intention to do so.

New Shepard’s Proven Track Record

Despite being the first crewed flight, the New Shepard rocket has successfully completed 15 prior missions without passengers.

All of these flights, with the exception of the initial launch where the reusable booster was lost, have been entirely successful. This includes the consistent landing of the booster and the recovery of the capsule.

The Experience Aboard New Shepard

The New Shepard rocket does not reach full orbit. Instead, it ascends to the edge of space.

Passengers will experience several minutes of weightlessness and enjoy breathtaking views of Earth through the capsule’s expansive windows before a parachute-assisted landing in Texas, near Blue Origin’s launch facility.

Auction Status and Final Bidding

The auction for the first paying customer seat remains at $2.8 million, a figure that has been consistent since the price increased from $1.4 million on May 19th when unsealed bidding commenced.

The final stage of the auction, scheduled for June 12th, will involve live online bidding. Remaining participants will have the opportunity to increase their bids to match the current highest offer.