Washington (AFP)
Amazon boss and founder of space company Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos, will join the first space tourism trip with his brother Mark and the winner of an auction for the third ticket.
"Since I was five years old, I have dreamed of traveling to space. On July 20, I will take this trip with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend," the billionaire wrote in a post on his Instagram account and accompanied by a cleverly staged video.
"I did not even expect him to say he would be on the first flight," comments his brother in this video where the two men can be seen hugging.
Space tourism company Blue Origin will send humans for a few minutes aboard a rocket for the first time on July 20, and one of the seats on board has been auctioned off to the general public.
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According to a statement from Blue Origin on Monday, stakes for this third ticket have reached up to $ 2.8 million.
They could go even higher after this announcement from the boss of Amazon.
Nearly 6,000 participants from 143 countries took part, the company also specifies.
The auction will close on June 12.
The funds raised will be donated to the foundation created by Blue Origin, Club for the future, intended in particular to encourage young generations to start careers in the scientific community.
On the day of departure, the rocket will take off vertically and the capsule will separate from it at about 75 km in height, continuing its trajectory until exceeding 100 km in altitude.
Passengers on board will then be able to float in zero gravity for a few minutes and observe the curvature of the space.
During this time, the rocket will descend to land gently on a runway, still vertical.
Then the capsule will itself begin a free fall to return to Earth, and will be slowed down by three large parachutes and retro rockets before landing in a desert in West Texas.
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