Blue Origin has announced the six-member crew for its upcoming NS-34 mission, which includes Indian-American Arvinder (Arvi) Singh Bahal. This mission will be the 14th human flight for the New Shepard programme and the 34th flight in its history.
With this launch, Blue Origin will increase the total number of people flown above the Karman line to 76. The flight date has not yet been announced, but a live webcast will be available on launch day, beginning 30 minutes before liftoff.
Arvi Bahal, born in Agra, India, is now a naturalised US citizen and works as a real estate investor. A passionate traveller and adventurer, he has visited every country in the world, travelled to both the North and South Poles, and skydived over Mount Everest and the Pyramids of Giza. He also holds a private pilot’s licence and is trained in helicopter flying.
Joining Arvi on the NS-34 mission are five other crew members. Gokhan Erdem is a businessman from Turkey and a board member of Erdem Holding, a group of companies operating in sectors such as energy, construction, telecommunications, and manufacturing. He is an avid space enthusiast and photographer who dreams of one day visiting the International Space Station.
Deborah Martorell is a meteorologist and journalist from Puerto Rico with a long-standing interest in space and environmental science. Her reporting has earned multiple Emmy Awards and science reporting honours. She has previously participated in a microgravity flight with NASA and has covered various major space missions. She is affiliated with both NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Lionel Pitchford is an English national who has spent most of his life in Spain. He has worked as a teacher, translator, and tour guide. In 1992, after a tragic plane crash involving his sister’s family, he founded a nonprofit organisation in Nepal focused on helping disadvantaged children and girls. He has also managed an orphanage in Kathmandu for over 30 years. Flying to space has been a lifelong dream for him.
James (J.D.) Russell is returning to space for the second time, having earlier flown on NS-28 in November 2024. He is a serial entrepreneur who runs a technology-focused venture capital firm and an aerospace consultancy. He also established the Victoria Russell Foundation in memory of his daughter. The foundation works to support children’s education and families of first responders.
The sixth crew member is H.E. Justin Sun, the Ambassador and former Permanent Representative of Grenada to the World Trade Organization. He is also the Prime Minister of Liberland, Founder of the TRON blockchain, and Advisor to the crypto exchange HTX.
A well-known figure in the cryptocurrency space, he has received several recognitions including features on Forbes Magazine and Forbes’ 30 Under 30 lists. In 2021, he placed the winning bid for the first New Shepard seat at USD 28 million. The amount was donated to Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future, which then distributed the proceeds among 19 space-focused nonprofits to promote careers in STEAM and the future of life in space.
