Pete Davidson is heading to space next week with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin

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By Carina Murphy

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Pete Davidson will be leaving planet Earth behind next week - if all goes to plan.

The Saturday Night Live star is officially booked into Blue Origin's next voyage, Space.com reports. The aerospace company - founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos - announced this week that Davidson is all set to take the March 23 trip into suborbital space onboard its New Shepard craft.

Comedian Davidson is not the first celeb to hitch a ride on the New Shepard. Star Trek legend William Shatner and former NFL star Michael Strahan have both been on the passenger list for previous launches, as has Amazon founder Jeff Bezos who owns the space exploration company.

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Pete Davidson attending the Met Gala in New York City in September 2021. Credit: Abaca Press / Alamy

Meanwhile, though Davidson's fellow passengers appear to be paying customers, it looks like he's getting a free ride on the Blue Origin flight, as a Blue Origin spokesperson said on Monday that Davidson would fly as "an honorary guest" and  "alongside five customers".

The official price of a seat aboard New Shepard has not yet been released. However, Blue Origin's key competitor, Virgin Galactic, is currently charging an eye-watering $450,000 a head to ride its VSS Unity spaceplane - even though the craft is still yet to carry paying passengers.

Unsurprisingly, it's an array of wealthy individuals who are lined up to join Davidson on his voyage to the stars. The passenger list currently includes businessman and angel investor Marty Allen, entrepreneur Jim Kitchen, philanthropic couple Sharon and Marc Hagle, and president of Commercial Space Technologies and former NASA manager George Nield.

Per Space.com, the mission will be Blue Origin's fourth crewed spaceflight and the 20th flight overall for the New Shepard craft. Liftoff is scheduled for 9.30 AM EDT at the company's West Texas launch facility.

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Blue Origin's New Shepard craft lifting off in December 2021. Credit: Abaca Press / Alamy

Blue Origin will provide a live stream so viewers can follow the launch live at the time.

The flight will take passengers more than 62 miles above the Earth's surface, allowing them to experience weightlessness as well as gaze down on the planet. Passengers will touchdown approximately 11 minutes after they took off.

Featured Image Credit: REUTERS / Alamy