Jeff Bezos flying to space: 18-year-old passenger joins crew after winning bidder for seat bows out
Jeff Bezos’ first trip to space will now include both the youngest and oldest people ever to take flight.
The Amazon founder’s aerospace company, Blue Origin, announced Thursday 18-year-old Oliver Daemen will fly aboard the New Shepard vessel during its first human space flight scheduled for July 20.
The winner of the auction for a seat aboard New Shepard has decided to postpone his trip to space next week due to scheduling conflicts, Blue Origin said. The bidder, who has asked to remain anonymous, will fly on a future New Shepard mission, said the company.
Last month, Blue Origin announced the bidder won a flight aboard New Shepard, which will also carry Bezos and his brother, Mark, for $28 million. The proceeds from the auction go toward the foundation Club for the Future, aimed at inspiring future generations to pursue careers in STEM.
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“We thank the auction winner for their generous support of Club for the Future and are honored to welcome Oliver to fly with us on New Shepard,” said Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin, in a statement Thursday.
is 82-year-old Wally Funk, a female aviator who pushed for inclusion in NASA’s astronaut training program.
July 20th will be the 52nd anniversary of the 1969 Apollo moon landing by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Earlier this week, the Federal Aviation Administration granted approval for the flight to commence.
Emre Kelly of Florida Today contributed to this report. Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.