Unnamed bidder pays US$28 million to join Jeff Bezos on Blue Origin space flight next month
- The Amazon founder revealed that he and his brother would take a place on board the company’s launch vehicle on July 20, to fly to the edge of space and back
- Bezos and his brother will be joined by the winner of the charity auction, whose identity will be disclosed in coming weeks, and by a fourth mystery guest
An unnamed bidder paid US$28 million at auction on Saturday for a seat alongside Jeff Bezos on board the first crewed space flight of the billionaire’s company Blue Origin next month.
The Amazon founder revealed this week that both he and his brother Mark would take a place on board the company’s New Shepard launch vehicle on July 20, to fly to the edge of space and back.
They will be joined by the winner of Saturday’s charity auction, whose identity will be disclosed in coming weeks, and by a fourth, as yet unnamed space tourist, according to Blue Origin’s director of astronaut and orbital sales Ariane Cornell.
Saturday’s successful bidder beat some 20 rivals in an auction launched on May 19 and wrapped up with a 10-minute, live-cast frenzy.
Bidding had reached US$4.8 million by Thursday, but shot up spectacularly in the final live auction, rising by million dollar increments.
The proceeds – aside from a six per cent auctioneer’s commission – will go to Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future, which aims to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Taking off from a desert in western Texas, the New Shepard trip will last a total of 10 minutes, four of which passengers will spend above the Karman line that marks the recognised boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and space.