Crypto Billionaire Justin Sun Completes Suborbital Flight on Blue Origin's New Shepard

Cryptocurrency mogul Justin Sun was among a crew of six who successfully completed a suborbital spaceflight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket system yesterday. The mission, designated NS-34, marked the 34th flight for the program, which provides a brief, ten-minute journey into space beyond the Kármán line.

Sun — the billionaire founder of the blockchain platform Tron — was joined by a diverse crew including real estate investor Arvi Bahal, businessman Gökhan Erdem, meteorologist Deborah Martorell, educator Lionel Pitchford, and entrepreneur J.D. Russell.

Following the launch from a West Texas site, the crew experienced a period of weightlessness before returning to Earth. Reflecting on the experience, Sun shared that viewing Earth from space provided a profound realization of its fragility and the importance of its preservation.

In June 2021, Sun won an auction for a seat aboard Blue Origin's first-ever crewed spaceflight, forking out $28m for his ticket.

That mission launched on July 20 of that year, carrying Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and three other people to and from suborbital space on the company's reusable New Shepard vehicle. Sun was not on board, however; as he had to back out due to scheduling conflicts, the company said at the time.

Upon landing, Sun stated, "This is my first commitment and step to space...we will have more."