He won a trip to space. Then he gave it away to a friend

Airline pilot Kyle Hippchen could have -- should have -- been on board when SpaceX launched its first tourists into orbit last year after winning a sweepstakes, but ended up giving the honour to a friend.

Meet Kyle Hippchen, the real winner of a first-of-its-kind sweepstakes, who gave his seat to his college roommate.

Though Hippchen's secret is finally out, that doesn't make it any easier knowing he missed his chance to orbit Earth because he exceeded the weight limit. He still hasn't watched the Netflix series on the three-day flight purchased by a tech entrepreneur for himself and three guests last September.

"It hurts too much," he said. "I'm insanely disappointed. But it is what it is."

Hippchen, 43, a Florida-based captain for Delta's regional carrier Endeavor Air, recently shared his story with The Associated Press during his first visit to NASA's Kennedy Space Center since his lost rocket ride.