A few days after completing its first manned flight, Blue Origin has been forced to change one of its passengers. The buyer who paid $ 28 million for a ticket aboard New Shepard eventually got off this trip. Its place will be occupied by an 18 year old teenager, who will become the youngest person to fly into space.
As explained the aerospace company, the anonymous millionaire will reschedule his participation due to scheduling conflicts and will participate in another future Blue Origin suborbital trip. The young man who will replace him will be Oliver Daemen, whose youth will serve to contrast with the 82 years of former pilot Wally Funk.
Thus, the firm of Jeff Bezos secures the youngest and oldest person to cross the Kármán line for its first manned flight. Remember that the trip is scheduled for next July 20 and has just received the corresponding authorization from the US authorities.
Daemen also paid for his seat on Blue Origin’s first manned flight
Blue Origin has not released figures, but has confirmed that Oliver Daemen is the first traveler to buy a seat at New Shepard. You probably didn’t have to shell out an extreme sum like the anonymous millionaire at the auction, but that doesn’t mean your stake is priced cheaply.
According to recent reports, a passage aboard the Blue Origin suborbital ship is around half a million dollars. According Engadget, the 18-year-old teenager who will travel into space is the son of Joes Daemen, CEO of Somerset Capital Partners, a hedge fund.
“We are honored to welcome Oliver to fly with us. This marks the beginning of New Shepard’s business operations, and Oliver represents a new generation of people who will help us build a path into space,” said Bob. Smith, CEO of Blue Origin.
Let us remember that the first manned flight of Blue Origin also will have as passengers Jeff Bezos, founder of the company, and his brother Mark. This company has generated a lot of buzz in the space travel market, especially due to the growing rivalry with Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic.