Blue Origin’s first space flight launching Tuesday
More than two decades after founding his own space company Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos will officially launch into his next adventure post-Amazon, as he travels to space Tuesday aboard the New Shepard rocket.
"For New Shepard, we've been following an aggressive step-by-step approach from the beginning," Gary Lai, senior director at New Shepard Design, said in a video on Twitter. The first version, M1, flew in April 2015. As TPG previously reported, New Shepard will carry passengers and crew 62 miles above the earth into suborbital space.
In June, Blue Origin announced that the richest person in the world and former CEO of Amazon would soon be among just a few billionaires to reach space (Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, was on a Virgin Galactic flight earlier this month and SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has a down payment for an upcoming trip), the Washington Post first reported.
View this post on Instagram
Read more: Here's your chance to bid for a seat on Blue Origin's first space flight with passengers in July
Accompanying Bezos will be his younger brother Mark Bezos, 18-year-old Oliver Daeman and 82-year-old Wally Funk, known for being the first female Federal Aviation Administration inspector and first female National Transportation Safety Board air safety investigator. The two are also the youngest and oldest astronauts respectively to ever travel to space. Daeman is replacing an anonymous winner of an online auction who paid $28 million for the very first seat on New Shepard's first human flight on July 20, and who the company said dropped out due to scheduling issues.
"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," Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin, said in a statement. "This marks the beginning of commercial operations for New Shepard, and Oliver represents a new generation of people who will help us build a road to space."
Blue Origin said that the money will be donated to the company's foundation, Club for the Future, which will give $1 million each to 19 different nonprofits for efforts supporting "living and working in space."
Daeman, the Dutch teen who is the first paying customer on New Shepard, recalled his first memories of space and rockets while watching "Thunderbirds," a British sci-fi series.
View this post on Instagram
Read more: Richard Branson goes to space: Virgin Galactic's 'Unity' lands safely in New Mexico
"I feel a responsibility because I'm the youngest in space and to get more young people interested in space," Daeman said on Instagram. "And not even just space by science, it's such an opportunity for me to do ... When I touch down, I think I'll be just speechless."
The launch of New Shepard will be broadcast live on BlueOrigin.com starting at 6:30 a.m. CDT Tuesday, July 20, with liftoff at 8 a.m. from Van Horn, Texas.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees