A 19-year-old Dutchman will make history as the youngest person to enter space next Tuesday.
Following Richard Branson’s successful trip on board his own rocket, billionaire Jeff Bezos is due to follow suit on July 20.
Oliver Daemen will join the Amazon founder, his brother Mark, and pilot Wally Funk when they launch into space aboard the New Shepard rocket.
Daemen secured his position after the original $28 million winner of Blue Origin's auction chose a later mission "due to scheduling conflicts," according to the company.
It is understood that Daemen's father had landed a place on the second planned flight in the auction but offered his seat to his son when the ticket became available on the first flight.
“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,” Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith said.
“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.”
The teen won’t be the only one making history onboard the flight, as Funk is set to become the oldest person to fly to space, at 82.
She was once part of Mercury 13, a group of female pilots who underwent testing to determine whether women could handle space travel or not.
Meanwhile, many are asking when the people who have paid up to €250,000 for a trip with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic will actually get to make the journey, with some reports indicating it is likely to be next year.
