Latest news with #Arvinder'Arvi'SinghBahal
India Today
04-08-2025
- Business
- India Today
Video: India-born investor flies to space, captures Earth from above
Agra-born real-estate investor Arvinder 'Arvi' Singh Bahal soared into the spotlight after joining Blue Origin's latest crewed space tourism mission, NS-34, on a video shared from his sub-orbital spaceflight, Bahal is seen watching the planet from an altitude of 100 kilometres above the suborbital flight, operated by Jeff Bezos' aerospace company, carried Bahal and several fellow adventurers to the edge of space, marking another milestone in the rapidly expanding private space travel apogee. Seeing what unites us. Blue Origin (@blueorigin) August 3, 2025advertisement Launching from Blue Origin's Launch Site One in West Texas at 6:00 pm IST, the NS-34 mission rocketed past the Karman line, commonly recognised as the boundary of outer space at 100km altitude. The event, watched live on Blue Origin's webcast, offered viewers a close look at the anticipation and excitement as Bahal prepared for a naturalised US citizen, Bahal is known for his ambitious quest to visit every country in the world. He is also an accomplished aviator, holding both a private pilot's license and helicopter Bahal, Sunday's flight with Blue Origin was the ultimate adventure, a personal dream realized after decades devoted to exploration across the Replay: Liftoff! Blue Origin (@blueorigin) August 3, 2025The mission provided several minutes of weightlessness as the capsule floated above Earth, giving Bahal and his crewmates breathtaking views of the planet's curvature and thin blue unbuckled to experience true microgravity, snapping photos and exchanging smiles of triumph. The capsule's gentle parachute-assisted landing in the Texas desert capped a brief but transformative the flight, a beaming Bahal expressed gratitude for the experience, calling it the pinnacle of his lifelong passion for travel and flight. 'Seeing Earth from space was a dream come true—a moment of pure wonder and perspective,' he flight aboard New Shepard's NS-34 mission underscores both the growing accessibility of space tourism and the enduring human spirit of curiosity and adventure.- Ends
Hindustan Times
03-08-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Indian-origin businessman, 80, lifts off for space in Blue Origin craft
Arvinder 'Arvi' Singh Bahal, an 80-year-old Agra-born adventurer and real estate investor, lifted off for space aboard Blue Origin's NS-34 mission on Saturday. The suborbital flight lifted off from the company's Launch Site One in West Texas, marking another milestone in private human spaceflight. Arvinder 'Arvi' Singh Bahal (centre) with some of the others set for Blue Origin's space tourism flight NS-34.(X/Blue Origin) Describing Bahal, Blue Origin wrote, 'Arvi is a real estate investor born in Agra, India, and now a naturalized US citizen. A lifelong traveler and adventurer, Arvi has visited every country in the world, the North and South Poles, and skydived Mount Everest and the Pyramids of Giza. He holds a private pilot's license and also flies helicopters.' Bahal, who now lives in the US and has traveled to every country in the world, was joined by five others on the 14th crewed mission of Blue Origin's New Shepard program. The diverse crew included: Justin Sun, Chinese crypto entrepreneur and TRON founder Deborah Martorell, Puerto Rican meteorologist Gokhan Erdem, Turkish businessman Lionel Pitchford, British educator and humanitarian JD Russell, American entrepreneur making his second Blue Origin flight The flight will last around 10 minutes and take the capsule past the Karman line - the internationally recognized boundary of space at 100 kilometers altitude - before returning safely to Earth. For Bahal, who is also a licensed pilot and a former Everest flyover participant, the spaceflight was the culmination of a lifelong passion for exploration. Blue Origin's space flights This was Blue Origin's third crewed flight of 2025, adding to its growing roster of space tourists as it continues to pioneer commercial space travel. Earlier this year, Blue Origin took Jeff Bezos' fiancee Lauren Sanchez to space an all-female celebrity crew that included American singer Katy Perry and actor Gayle King. Blue Origin New Shepard mission NS-31, its 11th human flight, lifted off from Launch Site One in West Texas on April 14 with an all-women crew.
Time of India
03-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Who is Arvinder Singh Bahal? The 80-year-old adventurer flying to space aboard Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin mission on August 3
Arvinder 'Arvi' Singh Bahal, an 80-year-old adventurer, real estate investor, and seasoned world traveller from Agra, India, is preparing for the journey of a lifetime. On August 3, 2025, Bahal will board Blue Origin 's New Shepard NS-34 space tourism mission, joining an elite group of private citizens who have crossed Earth's atmospheric boundary. For Bahal, this experience goes beyond the thrill of weightlessness symbolising decades of curiosity, courage, and relentless exploration. Having visited all 196 countries and seven continents, his adventurous spirit has taken him from polar ice fields to Mount Everest's skies. Now, at 80, Bahal's leap into space embodies the belief that it's never too late to chase extraordinary dreams and redefine human potential. Blue Origin sets August 3 launch for New Shepard NS-34 space tourism mission: Timing and live streaming Jeff Bezos ' aerospace company, Blue Origin, has officially announced the launch schedule for its next suborbital space tourism mission, New Shepard NS-34. The flight is currently targeted for Sunday, August 3, 2025, marking the 34th mission overall for the New Shepard spacecraft and the 14th crewed flight. The NS-34 mission will lift off from Blue Origin's private launch site in West Texas, near the town of Van Horn. The launch window opens at 8:30 am EDT (12:30 GMT; 7:30 a.m. local time in Texas). For space enthusiasts worldwide, Blue Origin will broadcast the event live, with coverage beginning 30 minutes before liftoff, offering real-time views of the historic flight. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Is Why Smart People Put Baking Soda in Their Shampoo Read More Undo Arvinder Singh Bahal's early life and move to the United States Born near the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra, Bahal's childhood ambitions included a career in the Indian Army. However, life took a different course when he shifted to entrepreneurship, initially working on a tea plantation in Darjeeling and later running a garment manufacturing business near Delhi. His life changed dramatically in 1975 when he traveled to the United States with just $108 in his pocket to sell his products. Impressed by the opportunities there, Bahal immigrated permanently, becoming a US citizen by the late 1970s. He built a thriving career as president of Bahal Properties, a real estate firm that provided both financial stability and the freedom to pursue his passion for travel. From Mount Everest to the Pyramids: Bahal's global travel legacy Bahal's life is a testament to curiosity and relentless exploration. He has visited all 196 countries and all seven continents, from the icy frontiers of the North and South Poles to skydiving above Mount Everest and exploring the ancient Pyramids of Giza. He has documented his journeys extensively, maintaining an archive of over one million photographs and authoring travel literature, including 'The Tireless Traveler,' which also serves as the name of his website. His Instagram highlights visits to Sikh shrines, Mongolia's eagle festivals, and even conflict-ridden Afghanistan, demonstrating his fearless approach to exploration. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin makes Bahal's space travel dream a reality Bahal's fascination with space travel began long before Blue Origin became a household name. Over a decade ago, he reserved a spot with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic as 'Future Astronaut No. 326,' but those plans stalled when the company ended operations in 2023. Undeterred, Bahal kept his dream alive, and in 2025, it finally materialized with Blue Origin's New Shepard NS-34 mission. The suborbital flight, scheduled for launch from West Texas, will take Bahal and five other passengers—entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and journalists—across the Kármán line, the recognized boundary of space. Founded by Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin aims to make space accessible to non-astronauts, democratizing exploration once limited to government programs. The New Shepard spacecraft, designed for suborbital tourism, has already flown 70 individuals into space and safely returned them to Earth. The NS-34 mission marks its 14th crewed flight and 34th overall, continuing Blue Origin's push to normalize short-duration, high-altitude space experiences. Unlike SpaceX, which focuses on orbital flights, Blue Origin offers a faster, more accessible path to space for enthusiasts like Bahal. Also Read | Life found 31,000 feet below the ocean: A hidden world of deep-sea creatures thrives without sunlight
Hindustan Times
03-08-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Meet Arvinder ‘Arvi' Bahal, Agra-born man to fly to edge of space today on Blue Origin NS-34 mission
Arvinder 'Arvi' Singh Bahal, an Agra-born globetrotter and real estate investor who lives in the US, will fly to the edge of space onboard Blue Origin's tourism flight NS-34 on August 3. Arvinder 'Arvi' Singh Bahal (second from right) with the rest of the crew.(X - Blue Origin) Bahal's Sunday liftoff will be yet another chapter in his remarkable life of adventure and exploration. A naturalised US citizen and hitting the age of 80, he has travelled to all the countries on our planet — seven continents, 196 countries, says his website chronicling some of his travels. He has been to both the North and South Poles, skydived above Mount Everest, and visiting the Pyramids of Giza. He has a private pilot licence too. Professionally, his LinkedIn profile shows, he is the president of a US-based real estate company, Bahal Properties. Devout Sikh, almost got into army, how Arvi came to US Born on October 13, 1945, in Agra, Bahal grew up near the iconic Taj Mahal, his website says. He is described as a devout Sikh in his brief profile on the site. After the NDA exit, he spent nearly four years working on a Scottish-owned tea plantation in Darjeeling before entering the garment-manufacturing business near Delhi by 1970, it says. 'I came to America in 1975 to sell my wares… I liked it here, asked for immigration," he told United Planet radio. His website says he came to the US 'with just $108' and got citizenship by the end of the 1970s. In 1979, he married Pamela, and they have two children: Sukhvinder, a fintech professional, and Tasha, a lawyer; and grandchildren. How Arvi Bahal got into real estate In the course of his travels for work at the time, he went to Canada, where he bought his first property. 'I saw the returns looked good… since then I have been in real estate which gives me time to travel,' he further said in that 2017 interaction with the online radio channel. Of his travels, India, where he was born, and China were his favourites, he said. A resident of Beverly, Massachusetts, he claims to have an archive of over a million images as a photographer. He has also written about his travels in at least one publication, titled The Tireless Traveler, which is also the title of his website. Travels, and fascination with space His Facebook account has the most recent post from July, which includes photos from a trip to historical places in Afghanistan. An Instagram account in his name shows he visited Sikh shrines in Pakistan — including Gurdwara Panja Sahib linked with Guru Nanak Dev — last year. Another post carries videos of the Sagsai Eagle Festival held in Mongolia. He was exploring opportunities to travel towards space at least a decade ago too, interviews and articles online show. He reportedly placed his deposit with the space tourism company called Virgin Galactic, owned by British billionaire Richard Branson; and was 'Future Astronaut No. 326' at one time. That company shut down in 2023. His space dream, however, remained alive. As far back as 2012, his Instagram has a post showing a rocket takeoff. Arvi Bahal on Blue Origin flight And he's now set for liftoff with Blue Origin, the space company owned by US billionaire entrepreneur Jeff Bezos who most famously owns Amazon. Welcoming Arvi Bahal on the New Shepard programme, Blue Origin wrote on X, 'Welcome to Astronaut Village, NS-34 Crew!' As reported by Blue Origin, the mission will launch from West Texas; the flight window opens at 7:30 am local time. This will be the 14th human flight and the 34th total for Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin New Shepard programme. It has flown 70 people past the planet's atmosphere so far. Who will accompany Arvi Bahl? Joining Bahal on his space journey are Turkish businessman Gokhan Erdem, Puerto Rican meteorologist-journalist Deborah Martorell, British philanthropist Lionel Pitchford, entrepreneur JD Russell, and Justin Sun, ambassador and former Permanent Representative of Grenada. Earlier on April 14, pop star Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King, and four other women were among the Blue Origin crew that took around 11 minutes to fly over the Kármán line before splashing down safely on Earth.
