CollinsJeff Bezos is going to space, and he’ll be accompanied by his brother. The announcement was made through an Instagram video by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
He claims that he and his brother Mark would go into space on July 20th onboard a rocket developed by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space business.
The company said in May that a maiden crewed flight will take place on this day, but did not specify whether Bezos would be on board.
In the Instagram video, Bezos adds that going to space has been a lifelong ambition of his and that having his brother there for the experience will be “important.”
“Seeing the earth from space has an impact on you. It alters your relationship with the Earth and humankind as a whole.
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“There is only one Earth,” Bezos says. “I want to take this flight since it is something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s a thrilling adventure. It means a lot to me.”
The Bezos brothers will take Blue Origin’s reusable rocket, New Shepard, to the edge of space. A gumdrop-shaped Crew Capsule with space for six people and wide windows sits atop the rocket.
The rocket will launch from Earth, and once it reaches the Kármán line, which is 100 kilometers above sea level, the capsule will separate from the booster, allowing passengers inside to see the curvature of the Earth and feel weightlessness.
The launcher and capsule will then land separately, with the capsule using parachutes to land in the West Texas desert.
Aside from Jeff and Mark Bezos, the winning bidder in an ongoing online auction will claim one seat on the flight.
The auction is set to close on June 12th, with a high price of $2,800,000. It may appear costly but forget about the cost of traveling to space: the victor will also have 10 minutes to sway the world’s wealthiest individual.
Collins