Kitchen

Personal data: Birth date:  15.08.1964 (age 61) Birthplace:   US. Education:  UNC Kenan–Flagler Business School Occupation:  Entrepreneur · Professor Marital status:   Children:   Knownfor:  First person to visit all 193 United Nations–recognized countries, descend to Challenger Deep, and travel to space Selection group:   Position:  Tourist Status:  Ret.

Spaceflights:

Additional information:

• Jim Kitchen (born August 15, 1964) is an American entrepreneur, professor, and adventurer. He teaches entrepreneurship at the UNC Kenan–Flagler Business School. Kitchen is noted for becoming the first person to travel to all 193 United Nations–recognized countries, journey to space, and descend to the deepest part of the ocean.
• Kitchen began teaching entrepreneurship at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School in 2010.
• Kitchen began traveling internationally in high school and over the past 30 years has visited all 193 countries recognized by the United Nations. He visited his 193rd country, Syria, in 2019. Kitchen is a member of the Travelers' Century Club, recognized as a Gold Member for visiting 100 or more countries.
• Space flight: On March 14, 2022, Blue Origin announced that Jim Kitchen would be a member of the NS-20 mission. Pete Davidson was scheduled to be a crew member on this launch, however Davidson changed his mind. Gary Lai, the chief architect of the New Shepard rocket system replaced Pete Davidson on this space flight. On March 31, 2022, Kitchen became the first person to travel to all 193 U.N. recognized countries and go to space. Several news outlets referred to him as the “Modern Day Marco Polo” who went to space.
• On July 5, 2022, Kitchen traveled in the deep diving submersible Limiting Factor to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean to depths between 10,925 and 10,935 meters (35,843 and 35,876 ft). The trench is located approximately 210 nautical miles to the southwest of Guam.
• In June 2023, Kitchen was scheduled to join an OceanGate expedition aboard the Titan submersible to the wreck of the Titanic, but he withdrew after raising safety concerns. Days later, the vessel imploded during its descent, killing all five people on board.