Branson, who founded the Virgin Group of companies that includes Virgin Galactic, is set to fly to space aboard VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic's suborbital rocket-powered space plane, on its next flight, "Unity 22."

The mission could take off as soon as July 11, depending on weather and other factors, the company announced today (July 1). With this launch window, the flight may happen just before Blue Origin's launch of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle, which is scheduled for July 20. That New Shepard flight will loft Bezos, who runs Blue Origin in addition to Amazon.

"I’ve always been a dreamer. My mum taught me to never give up and to reach for the stars. On July 11, it’s time to turn that dream into a reality aboard the next @VirginGalatic spaceflight," Branson tweeted following today's announcement.