Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and his brother’s next month’s mission to space is on and the bidding for the journey is completed with a final offer of $28 million. It was confirmed Saturday.
Blue Origin, the rocket business founded by Bezos, did not reveal the winner’s identity after the live auction. In a few weeks, the lucky person’s name will be revealed, ahead of the quick up-and-down trip from West Texas on July 20, the 52nd anniversary of Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong’s landing on the moon.
Blue Origin’s New Shepard Rocket Ready For First Launch
Blue Origin will be launching its rocket for the first time. Since 2015, 15 experimental launches of the recyclable rocket and spacecraft — each enduring approximately 10 minutes — have all been effective.
The Saturday bidding occurred after over a month of virtual bidding, which had hit $4.8 million Friday. According to Blue Origin, more than 7,500 individuals from 159 countries enrolled to participate. The big competitors were among the upwards of 20 competitors at Saturday’s auction.
The revelation that Bezos and his younger brother, Mark, will ride onboard New Shepard’s maiden crew mission raised the demand immediately. The awarded sum will be handed to Blue Origin’s Club for the Future — an academic initiative aimed at encouraging young people to develop careers in research and technology.
Six is the maximum number of passengers who can join the fully autonomous capsule. Each of them will have a seat beside the windows.
The Bottom Line
After the auction, Blue Origin’s top sales director, Ariane Cornell, stated that perhaps the fourth and last ticket on the inaugural crew voyage “would be disclosed shortly.”
Blue Origin will soon announce prices for tickets or open ticket sales to the general populace.
