Two Flying Again With Businessmen, Meteorologist, Teacher, Adventurer

Blue Origin announced the crew that will fly on its upcoming New Shepard NS-32 Mission. Those include Arvi Bahal, Gokhan Erdem, Deborah Martorell, Lionel Pitchford, J.D. Russel, and H.E. Justin Sun, who submitted the winning bid for the very first New Shepard seat in 2021.

NS-34 will be the 14th human space flight for the New Shepard program and its 34th overall. The launch date will be announced soon, and once again the live webcast on Blue Origin’s website will begin at T-30 minutes.

So far, Blue Origin’s New Shepard flight program has flown 70 humans and nearly 200 scientific payloads above the Karman line, where the Earth’s atmosphere ends and space begins. Though not all agree, it is generally accepted to be about 90-100 km (60-62 mi) above sea level.

Arvinder (Arvi) Singh Bahal:  Real estate investor, native of Agra, India, and a naturalized U.S. citizen. Lifelong traveler and adventurer, he’s been to both Poles and skydived Mount Everest. He holds a private pilot certificate and also flies helicopters.

Gokhan Erdem:  Turkish businessman and board member of the Erdem Holding group of companies that operate in the energy, telecom, manufacturing, and construction industries. Passionate space enthusiast, photographer, inspired by space exploration and dreams of flying to the International Space Station.

Deborah Martorell:  Puerto Rican meteorologist and journalist who has reported on space and environmental issues and has won eight Emmys and other awards for science reporting from the American Meteorological Society. Passionate about space, flew with NASA on a microgravity flight in 2007 and is a Solar System Ambassador for the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab and NOAA.

Lionel Pitchford:  Englishman who taught in Spain for over twenty years, and has traveled the world. Founded a non-profit in Nepal that serves disadvantaged children and girls. Has dreamed of flying in space since he caught the travel bug, hopes to inspire others to travel.

James (J.D.) Russell:  Serial entrepreneur, founder of Alpha Funds, a venture capital company focused on technology, and Alpha Aerospace, a consulting and solutions company. Founded the Victoria Russell Foundation, honoring the memory of his deceased daughter, that supports children’s education and assisting families of first responders. Flew on NS-28 in November 2024.

H.E. Justin Sun:  Ambassador and former Permanent Representative of Grenada to the WTO, Founder of TRON, a blockchain and DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization). Protégé of Jack Ma of Alibaba and recognized as an outspoken person in crypto with the nickname ’Crypto’s Billionaire Barker’ for his approach to innovation, advocacy, and leadership in the industry. Space enthusiast and philanthropist, he placed the winning bid for the first seat on the first New Shepard in 2021. The $28 million proceeds were donated to Blue Origin’s Club for the Future foundation that supported 19 separate space-focused non-profits inspiring STEM education and space exploration and habitation.

FMI:  www.blueorigin.com/