Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket successfully launched the NS-34 mission on August 3, 2025, carrying six civilian passengers on a suborbital journey from Launch Site One in West Texas. The mission marked the 14th human flight for the New Shepard program and the 34th overall mission for Blue Origin's New Shepard system.
The crew included Arvinder (Arvi) Singh Bahal, a real estate investor and world traveler; Gökhan Erdem, a Turkish businessman and space enthusiast; Deborah Martorell, a Puerto Rican meteorologist and journalist; Lionel Pitchford, a British philanthropist and educator; James (J.D.) Russell, an American entrepreneur and aerospace consultant; and H.E. Justin Sun, founder of the blockchain platform TRON. Notably, Justin Sun had previously secured a seat on a New Shepard flight in 2021, but scheduling conflicts had prevented his participation until this mission.
The suborbital flight lasted approximately 10–12 minutes, during which passengers experienced weightlessness and panoramic views of Earth from the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. This mission continues Blue Origin's efforts to make space travel more accessible to private individuals, reflecting the company's commitment to expanding human presence in space.
Blue Origin's New Shepard program has now flown over 70 individuals above the Kármán line, demonstrating the company's growing role in the commercial spaceflight sector. The success of the NS-34 mission underscores the potential for regular, civilian space travel and highlights the increasing interest in space tourism as a means to inspire future generations in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) fields.