Jeff Bezos said he will go to space when his company, Blue Origin, launches its first space mission carrying passengers, which is next month.
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The 57-year-old billionaire, who plans to travel with his brother, Mark, announced the news on Monday in an Instagram post. The launch is set for July 20, about two weeks after he plans to step down as CEO of Amazon.com Inc.
"Since I was five years old, I've dreamed of traveling to space," Bezos said in the post. "On July 20th, I'll be taking this journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend."
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Blue Origin is one of several high-profile space tourism companies backed by a wealthy businessman, along with Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Richard Branson-backed Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc.
Blue Origin is auctioning off a seat on the New Shepard rocket for the July 20 flight, an 11-minute journey into space that will reach an altitude of about 100 kilometers (62 miles). This seat on the flight is the only one available for purchase, and the proceeds will go to Blue Origin's foundation, Club for the Future, which promotes math and science education.
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The company previously said customers would have a four-day experience, including three days of training, in the town of Van Horn , Texas. Blue Origin has built several accommodations in the area, including a cafeteria.
Bezos plans to hand over the reins of Amazon to Andy Jassy on July 5th, who will take over as CEO.
Information source: bloomberg.com
