Here’s your chance to bid for a seat on Blue Origin’s first space flight with passengers in July
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Let the bidding begin!
The private spaceflight company Blue Origin announced it has circled July 20 as the date for its first space sightseeing flight and has opened up bidding for a seat on the inaugural trip.
Sign up to receive the daily TPG newsletter for more travel news!
If the flight does take off as planned, it could mark a major milestone in the competition to launch the commercial space travel industry.
The New Shepard rocket will carry six passengers into suborbital space, 62 miles above the earth. Along for the ride will be the five-person crew and one person who gets to sit back and enjoy the view from high above.
The ship will travel high enough for passengers to experience several minutes of weightlessness, as well as being able to see the curvature of the planet before the pressurized capsule returns to Earth under parachutes. And you’ll apparently have a great view, because Blue Origin says the capsule features six observation windows that are nearly three times as tall as those on a Boeing 747 jumbo jet and are the largest ever used in space.
How much will it cost to win that seat is anyone’s guess, especially with the auction format and the novelty of a flight into space having the potential to spark a bidding war. According to Reuters, it could cost upwards of $200,000. That was the price Blue Origin, which is owned by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, was reportedly planning to charge passengers for the ride when it announced its plans in 2018. That price tag was reached after an appraisal of plans from rival billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic endeavor and confirms that, for at least the beginning, space tourism’s primary customer base will be celebrities and the mega-rich.
The New Shepard, named after Alan Shepard, the first American to reach space, will take off and land in West Texas. As of April 14, the astronaut crew had already made 15 consecutive successful trips above the Karman Line (the altitude where space begins) and back.
The auction for a seat on the first flight will begin with sealed bids that can be submitted between now and May 19. After that, the bids will be unsealed and participants must exceed the highest bid to stay in contention. The bidding will conclude with a live online auction on June 12.
The auction for the empty spot on the New Shepard is being auctioned off to benefit Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future, which seeks to inspire careers in STEM and to push for the creation of a future lived-in space.
Featured photo courtesy of Blue Origin.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three months of card membership. Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants in the first three months of card membership.
With Status Boost™, earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
- Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
- Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
- Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.