Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin Spaceflight Will Include the Youngest Person To Ever Travel to Space

18-year-old Dutch student Oliver Daemen will fly on the company’s inaugural crewed mission.

Tech & Gadgets
1.8K 6 Comments

18-year-old Dutch physics student Oliver Daemen has landed a spot on Jeff Bezos‘ first-ever crewed Blue Origin spaceflight, making history as the youngest person to travel to space.

According to the path-forging aerospace company, Daemen is set to be the first “paying customer” to ascend into space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. The company announced that Daemen had secured a seat on the inaugural spaceflight, set to launch on July 20, after the original auction winner chose to instead fly on a future New Shepard mission due to “scheduling conflicts.”

Daemen placed the second-highest bid, behind the anonymous original winner who reportedly paid $28 million USD for the history-making mission. The pioneering student will make the trip alongside Bezos, Bezos’ brother Mark Bezos and Wally Funk, who will become the oldest person to travel to space at the age of 82.

“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,” said Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin. “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.”

Daemen graduated from high school in 2020, before taking a gap year to obtain a private pilot license, and will attend the University of Utrecht in September. The company did not disclose the amount Daemen paid for the coveted seat, but a source told CNN that his father, Joes Daemen, the founder and CEO of Somerset Capital Partners, made the purchase.

Elsewhere, NASA warns that a “wobble” in the Moon’s orbit has potential to cause catastrophic flooding on Earth.

Read Full Article

What to Read Next

This is the 1,600 HP, $3m USD Koenigsegg Jesko
Automotive

This is the 1,600 HP, $3m USD Koenigsegg Jesko

“For a car of its size and power, it is very agile in the way it reacts…”

HYPE. Hits The Court For Exclusive ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Capsule Collection
Fashion 

HYPE. Hits The Court For Exclusive ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Capsule Collection

Presented by Hype
Adorned with Looney Tunes icons.

Artist Sue Tsai Brings Fragility and Strength to the World of Basketball
Art 

Artist Sue Tsai Brings Fragility and Strength to the World of Basketball

Presented by NBA
The self-taught talent shares the stories behind her hustle.

Watch First Full Trailer For 'Titans' Season 3
Entertainment

Watch First Full Trailer For 'Titans' Season 3

Fans of the Boy Wonder look away now.

Everything Dropping at HBX Archives This Week
Fashion

Everything Dropping at HBX Archives This Week

Summer is sorted thanks to Supreme, Prada, NOAH, and more.


Burberry Is "Very Confident" That Riccardo Tisci Will Stay as Creative Director
Fashion 

Burberry Is "Very Confident" That Riccardo Tisci Will Stay as Creative Director

Revealed alongside the house’s quarterly reports.

TAG Heuer’s Super Mario Connected Watch Sold Out in Less than Ten Minutes
Watches

TAG Heuer’s Super Mario Connected Watch Sold Out in Less than Ten Minutes

And it’s already fetching soaring prices on the resale market.

Could There be a Market for Men’s Couture?
Fashion 

Could There be a Market for Men’s Couture?

Custom-made, one-of-a-kind men’s looks were all over the latest round of couture shows.

Clubhouse Now Enables Text-Based DM Feature
Tech & Gadgets

Clubhouse Now Enables Text-Based DM Feature

No more third-party app for messaging.

Pininfarina's Teorema Is a Sleek Futuristic Bullet Concept
Automotive

Pininfarina's Teorema Is a Sleek Futuristic Bullet Concept

Visualized by virtual and augmented reality.

More ▾