Blue Origin's Latest Launch Sends Crypto Billionaire Justin Sun to Space After He Bid $28M for Seat on 10-Minute Flight

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2 days ago

"When I look at it from space, Earth is so small and that's our home," Sun said after his brief trip on the New Shepard rocketNEED TO KNOW
Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, brought another crew to space
The crew included cryptocurrency billionaire Justin Sun, who bid $28 million for the seat on the rocket, along with five others
The mission was the 34th flight for the New Shepard programSix more people have gone to space thanks to Blue Origin.
The space technology company, founded by Jeff Bezos, brought another crew to space on Sunday, August, 3, including cryptocurrency billionaire Justin Sun.
The mission — known as NS-34 —was the 34th flight for the New Shepard program, according to the Blue Origin website.
The crew launched from West Texas on the New Shepard rocket at 8:43 a.m. local time, per Blue Origin's X. Another post confirmed that the flight controllers "confirmed capsule separation" about three minutes later, which means the crew experienced "weightlessness."
"Crew Capsule apogee confirmed," Blue Origin wrote at 8:47 a.m., before confirming that the crew had "landed" mere minutes later. Another update stated that the aircraft reached touchdown at 8:53 a.m., after a total of 10 minutes. "Welcome back, NS-34 crew," the company wrote on social media.
Blue Origin reported that the company "successfully completed its 14th human spaceflight" following the flight. Along with Sun, the crew included real estate investor Arvi Bahal, Turkish businessman Gökhan Erdem, meteorologist Deborah Martorell, educator Lionel Pitchford and entrepreneur J.D. Russell.
Sun won a bid for his seat on the New Shepard in 2021. He bid $28 million for the seat, according to Bloomberg and Space.org. The outlet reported that he was supposed to be on the landmark flight on July 20, 2021, in recognition of the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, but was unable to make the trip due to a scheduling conflict.
"It was an honor to see so many nations represented on our flight today. The view of our fragile planet from space has a unifying effect on all who witness it, and I am always eager to see how our astronauts use this experience for the benefit of Earth," said Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President of Blue Origin, in a statement.
Per Blue Origin's website, the New Shepard is a "fully reusable, suborbital rocket system built for human flight from the beginning." During the autonomous aircraft's 11-minute trip, those onboard pass the Kármán line into space. The crew experiences "several minutes of weightlessness and witnessing life-changing views of Earth."
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Singer Katy Perry, broadcast journalist Gayle King, philanthropist Lauren Sánchez, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn notably went to space on the New Shepard in April as part of its 31st launch.
Sun reflected on his brief journey into space in an interview shared on his Instagram. "For this mission, I've waited for four years but we've finally delivered it. I really appreciate Mr. Bezos and his team for making this possible. And thank you dad and mom for bringing me to Earth," he said.
"When I look at it from space, Earth is so small and that's our home. We definitely need to do whatever we can do to protect it," Sun added.
The entrepreneur made headlines in November 2025 for buying viral artwork depicting a yellow banana duct-taped to a wall.
'This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes and the cryptocurrency community,' Sun wrote on X. 'I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history.'
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"I am honored to be the proud owner of the banana 🍌 and look forward to it sparking further inspiration and impact for art enthusiasts around the world," Sun continued.
He later consumed the banana used in the artwork, writing in another X post, "To be honest, for a banana with such a back story, the taste is naturally different from an ordinary one. I could discern a hint of what Big Mike bananas from 100 years ago might have tasted like."
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