Stranger pays $ 28 million for a 10-minute space flight with Jeff Bezos
One of these seats cost 28 million. (Image: Blue Origin)
A good two million US dollars were initially offered for a place next to Jeff Bezos in the Blue Origin rocket New Shepard. In the end, a stranger secured a flight for $ 28 million.
In the period from May 19 to June 10, a multi-stage auction was held, at which the well-heeled could bid for a place in the Blue Origin rocket New Shepard. It will take off on July 20 with four people on board, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his brother Mark, and fly into space. A good two million US dollars were offered at the opening of the auction. Until shortly before the auction closed, the price had roughly doubled. In the final live auction on Saturday, the final bid was $ 28 million.
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$ 150,000 per second weightlessness
This means that the previously unknown bidder pays over 150,000 dollars per second – for a total of three minutes of weightlessness. The flight to an altitude of 100 kilometers should take around ten minutes. The spaceship accelerates to more than 3,700 kilometers per hour in the first two minutes. Then weightlessness sets in. The capsule should then fly for a few minutes at the boundary between the earth’s atmosphere and space, like Spiegel Online writes. Then it’s back to earth. The landing in the Texan desert is to take place, braked by parachutes.
Incidentally, the $ 28 million should flow into the Club for the Future, founded by Blue Origin in 2019. The organization wants to use the money to inspire young people to pursue careers in the natural sciences. In addition, future life in space is to be promoted. It is doubtful whether these goals are responsible for the high commandments. The driver was more likely that Bezos will be personally on board.
New Shepard: So far without a manned test flight
The fact that New Shepard has never set out on a manned test flight is sure to provide a special thrill. In the past few years, the rocket had already launched more than a dozen times in the direction of space – most recently in mid-April. But so far always without human occupation. In the coming weeks it should also be clarified who, besides Mark and Jeff Bezos number three and four, are on the flight.
