You are currently viewing Jeff Bezos Set To Become First Billionaire To Travel Into Space

Jeff Bezos Set To Become First Billionaire To Travel Into Space

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos has announced that he will fly into space next month on the first human flight launched by his Blue Origin rocket firm.

The flight is scheduled for July 20th, just 15 days after he is set to resign as CEO of Amazon.

The date marks the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

 

In an Instagram post on Monday, Bezos announced his plans to take the trip on July 20 alongside his brother, Mark.

“Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of travelling to space. On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend,” Bezos wrote on Instagram.

Blue Origin is also auctioning off a seat in the capsule, for someone who will join the pair on the inaugural crewed flight.

Jeff Bezos is set to beat his billionaire rivals to space.

If all goes according to plan, Bezos — the world’s richest person with a net worth of $187 billion — will be the first of the billionaire space tycoons to experience a ride aboard the rocket technology that he’s poured millions into developing. Not even Elon Musk, whose SpaceX builds rockets powerful enough to enter orbit around Earth, has announced plans to travel to space aboard one of his companies human-worthy crew capsules.
British billionaire Richard Branson, whose own space company, Virgin Galactic, is planning on conducting flights to suborbital space for ultra-wealthy thrill seekers and competing directly with Blue Origin. Branson has long said he would be among the first passengers aboard Virgin Galactic’s rocket-powered plane, but that flight is expected to take place later in 2021.
Blue Origin’s flight crewed flight will see the company’s six-seater capsule and 59-foot rocket tear toward the edge of space on a 11-minute flight that’ll reach more than 60 miles above Earth.