Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos will be joining the crew for the space company’s first crewed flight. The mission will take flight aboard the New Shepard suborbital vehicle. The announcement was made through Bezos’ official Instagram on June 7.

The flight is slated to take off on July 20, which also marks the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The New Shepard capsule, which is an autonomous spacecraft and does not need a pilot, will launch from Blue Origin’s West Texas facility. The New Shepard vehicle is capable of carrying six passengers and the flight is expected to last for 11 minutes.

Bezos’ greatest adventure

Besides, Bezos’ brother, Mark will also be a part of the flight, the social media post confirmed. “Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to space,” Bezos wrote. “On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend.”

Another seat for the flight is also up for bidding, and the highest bidder will win it after the three-round process that ends June 12. Auction bids have already reached $2.8 million, as per the company; the winning sum will be used for the space company’s science and technology outreach foundation, Club for the Future.

Blue Origin is not alone in the space tourism race. Its main competitor, Virgin Galactic, is also aiming to send its first passenger to space. Its Unity space plane has taken flight multiple times and also flown once with the company’s chief astronaut as a passenger. 

Not easy to book a seat

The company recently sold tickets at $250,000 and has already announced its plans for a commercial flight as soon as 2022. On the other hand, Blue Origin’s New Shepard has had 15 uncrewed successful tests.

To get a seat on the Blue Origin spacecraft, the passenger should be 18 or above. The space company will take into account the passenger’s height and weight before approving their travel. The passenger should have an average height and should weigh between 50 and 101kg.