Story at a glance
- Jeff Bezos announced on Monday that he will be flying into space next month.
- Bezos will be embarking on the first manned flight of the New Shepard, a rocket created by his space company Blue Origin, alongside his younger brother.
- A bidding war for an open seat on the flight has reached $3.5 million so far.
One seat on the Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket will be awarded to the winner of a monthlong auction currently underway that will close on June 12, allowing the winner to fly into space with Jeff Bezos.
About 6,000 bidders from more than 140 countries are vying for the seat, with bids reaching $3.5 million.
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Bezos announced on Monday that he will be flying to space alongside his younger brother, Mark Bezos, on the first manned flight of the New Shepard, the rocket built by the Amazon billionaire’s space company, Blue Origin.
“Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to space,” Jeff Bezos wrote on Instagram Monday morning. “On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend.”
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“The winning bid amount will be donated to Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future, whose mission is to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM and to help invent the future of life in space,” Blue Origin said in an announcement.
The New Shepard will launch from Van Horn, Texas, on July 20 — 15 days after Bezos resigns as the CEO of Amazon. After about a 30-minute flight, the rocket’s passengers will be able to unbuckle themselves from their seats and float freely for three minutes before the New Shepard descends back to Earth.
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