Skip to main content
Tech

Jeff Bezos to fly to space next month


(AP) — Jeff Bezos will ride his own rocket into space next month, joining the first crew to fly in a Blue Origin capsule.

The Amazon founder announced Monday he will launch July 20 from Texas along with his firefighter brother Mark. Also making the 10-minute up-and-down hop will be the highest bidder in a charity auction.

Bezos is stepping down as Amazon’s CEO on July 5 — just 15 days before liftoff — to spend more time on his space company as well as his newspaper, The Washington Post. His stake in Amazon is currently worth $164 billion.

“To see the Earth from space, it changes you. It changes your relationship with this planet, with humanity. It’s one Earth,” Bezos, 57, said in an Instagram post. “I want to go on this flight because it’s a thing I’ve wanted to do all my life. It’s an adventure. It’s a big deal for me.”

Bezos said he invited his younger brother — his best friend — to share the journey and make it even more “meaningful.”

The flight will officially kick off Blue Origin’s space tourism business. The company has yet to start selling tickets to the public or even to announce a ticket price for the short trips, which provide about three minutes of weightlessness. The capsule can hold six people, each with their own large window. The company hasn’t said who might occupy the remaining three seats on the debut passenger flight.

Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson also plans to launch aboard his own rocket later this year, after one more test flight over New Mexico. SpaceX’s Elon Musk — who’s transported 10 astronauts to the International Space Station and already sold private flights — has yet to commit to a spaceflight.

NEW TODAY — AMAZON FOUNDER JEFF BEZOS IS HEADED TO SPACE.
I’M TAYLOR KNIGHT WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.
MONDAY MORNING — BEZOS ANNOUNCED HE WILL FLY THE FIRST PASSENGER FLIGHT TO SPACE IN HIS COMPANY’S BLUE ORIGIN CAPSULE.
THE LAUNCH IS SET FOR JULY 20TH.
JOINING BEZOS AND HIS BROTHER MARK WILL BE THE HIGHEST BIDDER IN A CHARITY AUCTION.
GET THIS — THE CURRENT HIGHEST BID IS 2-POINT-8 MILLION DOLLARS!
THE AUCTION ENDS SATURDAY.
VIRGIN GALACTIC’S RICHARD BRANSON ALSO PLANS TO LAUNCH ABOARD HIS OWN ROCKET LATER THIS YEAR — AFTER ONE MORE TEST FLIGHT OVER NEW MEXICO.
SPACEX’S ELON MUSK — WHO’S ALREADY TRANSPORTED 10 ASTRONAUTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION OVER THE PAST YEAR — HAS YET TO COMMIT TO A SPACEFLIGHT.
FOR MORE NEWS THROUGHOUT THE DAY, STAY WITH US ON STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.