Jeff Bezos flies into space

The Amazon founder said he will be flying into space on Blue Origin's first passenger flight mission next month.

The 57-year-old billionaire, who plans to travel with his brother Mark, made the announcement on Instagram on Monday. The launch is set for July 20, roughly two weeks after he plans to step down as CEO of Amazon.com Inc.

“Since the age of five, I've dreamed of traveling into space,” Bezos said in his post. “On July 20, I will embark on this journey with my brother. Greatest Adventure With My Best Friend. "

Blue Origin is one of several well-known space tourism companies backed by a wealthy entrepreneur, along with Space Exploration Technologies Corp. Elona Musk and Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc., backed by Richard Branson. Both of these companies plan to attract payable customers.

Blue Origin is auctioning one seat on its New Shepard rocket for the July 20 flight, an 11-minute flight into suborbital space that will reach an altitude of about 100 kilometers (62 miles). The seat will be the only seat available for purchase on the flight, and the proceeds will go to Blue Origin, Club for the Future, which promotes math and science education.

The company previously stated that customers will have a four-day experience, including a three-day pre-flight training at the company's launch site near Van Horn, Texas. Blue Origin has built living spaces, including a cafeteria.

Bezos plans to hand over the reins as Amazon CEO Andy Yassi on July 5.