Jeff Bezos says he'll travel to space on Blue Origin flight

Jeff Bezos said he will go to space when his company, Blue Origin, launches its first passenger-carrying mission next month.

The billionaire, who plans to travel alongside his brother, Mark, made the announcement in an Instagram post Monday. The launch is set for July 20, about two weeks after he plans to step down as chief executive officer of Amazon.com Inc.

"Ever since I was five years old, I've dreamed of traveling to space," Bezos said in the post. "On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend."

Blue Origin is one of several high-profile space-tourism companies backed by a wealthy entrepreneur, alongside Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Richard Branson-backed Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. Both of those companies are making plans to carry paying customers.

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

The company has previously said customers will have a four-day experience, including three days of preflight training at the company's launch site near Van Horn, Texas. Blue Origin has built accommodations, including a cafeteria.

Bezos plans to hand the reins as Amazon's CEO to Andy Jassy on July 5.