Unidentified bidder pays 28 million dollars for July space flight

During a live auction on Saturday, a seat on a spaceship ride with billionaire Jeff Bezos went for $28 million, concluding the month-long bidding process for the sightseeing trip on the Blue Origin's maiden voyage next month. Within four minutes of the open of  live phone auction, bids reached beyond $20 million. The bidding closed seven minutes after the auction began. The identity of the winner - presumably an ultra-wealthy space aficionado - was not immediately disclosed. Blue Origin's six-seat New Shepard capsule will carry Bezos, his brother Mark, the not-yet-identified auction winner and one other passenger on a short, up-and-down flight to the lower reaches of space on July 20, the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

The race is fueled by optimism that space travel will become mainstream as nascent technology is proven and costs fall, fueling what UBS estimates could be a $3 billion annual tourism market by 2030. Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, as well as Musk's SpaceX, have also discussed using their rockets to link far-flung global cities. UBS says that long-haul travel market could be worth more than $20 billion, though several barriers such as air-safety certification could derail the plans.

The auction for the very first seat on #NewShepard has concluded with a winning bid of $28 million. The winning bid amount will be donated to Blue Origin’s foundation, @ClubforFuture. Full replay of the auction webcast: https://t.co/5Vc8IvWxJR pic.twitter.com/IlGbgOFmhx

— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) June 12, 2021