Jeff Bezos announced Monday that he will fly into space on July 20 as part of the first crewed flight of the New Shepard, the rocket ship manufactured by his company Blue Origin.
“Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to space,” Bezos posted on Instagram. “On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend. #GradatimFerociter.”
“Grandatim Ferociter” is Blue Origin’s motto and translates from Latin as “Step by step, ferociously.”
The 57-year-old added, “To see the Earth from space, it changes you. It changes your relationship with humanity, this planet.”
Bezos will be joined by his younger brother, Mark, for the flight.
“I wasn’t even expecting him to say that he was going to be on the first flight,” Mark Bezos said in the announcement video. “And when he asked me to go along, I was just awestruck. What a remarkable opportunity not only to have this adventure but to be able to do it with my best friend.”
Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest person, is slated to step down as Amazon CEO on July 5, just 15 days before the planned space flight. He has been funding Blue Origin by selling $1 billion worth of his Amazon stock each year.
Another seat on the Blue Origin flight will go to an auction winner. As of Monday, the top bid on the ticket is $2.8 million.
Check out the announcement below: