Blue Origin Successfully Blasts Off Crypto Tycoon Justin Sun and Five Additional Passengers on a Suborbital Journey (Visual Coverage)
On July 20, 2021, Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle soared into the skies from its West Texas launch site, marking the 14th human flight for the spacecraft. The passengers on board included Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and Dutch student Oliver Daemen, who took the place of the original bidder, crypto billionaire Justin Sun, who had won an auction for a seat aboard the first-ever crewed flight of New Shepard in June 2021 but was unable to join due to a scheduling conflict [1][2][3][5].
Justin Sun had paid $28 million for his seat, with the proceeds from the auction directed to Blue Origin’s Club for the Future foundation, which then distributed grants to 19 space-focused charities [1]. The philanthropic contribution aimed to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEAM and shape the future of life in space.
The New Shepard vehicle, designed for vertical, powered touchdowns, similar to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets, consists of a reusable rocket and crew capsule. During the flight, passengers experience weightlessness, taking them above the Karman line, a demarcation of 62 miles (100 kilometers) widely regarded as the start of space [6][7]. Each New Shepard flight lasts 10 to 12 minutes.
Phil Joyce, senior vice president of New Shepard at Blue Origin, expressed excitement about the diverse representation of nations on the flight. In an update made to this story at 11:20 a.m. ET, Joyce added, "Today's flight was a testament to the power of human curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge. We are thrilled to have been able to share this experience with such a diverse group of passengers."
On Sunday, August 3, 2023, Justin Sun will have his chance to experience space tourism, as he is set to fly on Blue Origin's next tourism launch, accompanied by six other passengers, including Arvinder (Arvi) Singh Bahal, Gökhan Erdem, Deborah Martorell, Lionel Pitchford, and American entrepreneur James (J.D.) Russell, who was the only passenger who had flown on a previous Blue Origin mission (NS-28 in November 2024) [4].
Blue Origin has not disclosed ticket prices for New Shepard flights, but the $28 million bid by Justin Sun in 2021 serves as a testament to the allure of space tourism. Each passenger's unique story can be learned more about in Blue Origin's NS-34 "meet the crew" story.
References:
- Blue Origin
- CNN
- Space.com
- Blue Origin
- Space.com
- NASA
- Britannica
- Justin Sun, who bought a spot on Blue Origin's New Shepard for $28 million, was unable to join the July 20, 2021, flight due to a scheduling conflict, but he is scheduled to fly on a future Blue Origin tourism launch in August 2023.
- The New Shepard vehicle, similar to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets, is designed for vertical, powered touchdowns and allows passengers to experience weightlessness and travel above the Karman line, which is considered the start of space.
- Blue Origin's philanthropic efforts through the Club for the Future foundation aim to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) and shape the future of life in space.
- The July 20, 2021, New Shepard flight marked the 14th human flight for the spacecraft and included Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and Dutch student Oliver Daemen.
- Phil Joyce, senior vice president of New Shepard at Blue Origin, noted the diverse representation of nations on the flight and expressed excitement about the testament to human curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge represented by the flight.
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