Jeff Bezos‘ Blue Origin are auctioning off a ticket for its first ever space tourism flight.
The spaceflight company announced that anyone from the general public can place an opening bid to secure a seat on the New Shepard. A sealed online bidding will begin on May 5 until May 19, followed by an unsealed round on May 19 then a live auction on June 12. The current price of the highest bid has not been revealed, however Blue Origin shared that the proceeds will benefit the youth-focused foundation Club for the Future, which helps to “to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM and help invent the future of life in space.”
While the auction is open to the public, Blue Origin noted that a person must meet a specific set of requirements to board the New Shepard. They must be above 18 years old, stand at between 5’0” and 6’4”, weigh between 110 pounds and 223 pounds and be physically fit to climb seven flights of stairs in one minute and a half. Travellers will also need to unfasten their seat harness in 15 seconds or less, spend up to one-and-a-half hours inside the capsule with the hatch closed and withstand up to 5.5G in force as the New Shepard descends.
Place your opening bud on the Blue Origin website. The first commercial New Shepard voyage will takeoff on July 20.
In case you missed it, NASA and SpaceX suspended its $2.9 billion USD contract after protests from Blue Origin.
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