Justin Sun, the founder of Tron, has successfully completed a brief but exhilarating journey aboard Jeff Bezos’ New Shepard spacecraft. After a last-minute cancellation in 2021, he finally realised his dream of space travel during the NS-34 mission, which took off from Blue Origin’s West Texas facility on August 3 at 7:43 AM local time. Sun had initially won a seat on the inaugural manned New Shepard flight for a staggering US$28 million but had to forfeit that opportunity due to scheduling conflicts.
After his flight, which lasted approximately 10 minutes and ascended just beyond the Kármán line—the boundary of space—an emotional Sun reflected on the Earth’s fragility, stating, “When I look from space, the Earth is so small and it’s our home. We need to do whatever we can do to protect it.” This sentiment hints at possible environmental initiatives for Tron following his unique experience.
Sun wasn’t alone in this journey; he was accompanied by five other astronauts representing various nationalities, including real estate investor Arvinder Bahal, entrepreneur James Russell, businessman Gökhan Erdem, journalist Deborah Martorell, and Lionel Pitchford, who operates a Nepalese orphanage. Phil Joyce, New Shepard’s senior vice president, remarked on the unifying effect of witnessing Earth from space, expressing eagerness to see how those aboard would leverage their experience for the planet’s benefit.
The New Shepard flights, which typically span 10-12 minutes, have been a prominent part of Blue Origin’s space tourism initiative. This most recent mission marked the 34th flight of the New Shepard and the 14th crewed flight.
Sun’s venture into space is a continuation of his penchant for extravagant and attention-grabbing stunts. A previous notable event involved his purchase of a banana artwork, titled ‘Comedian’, which he bought for an astounding US$6.2 million. To celebrate this purchase, he hosted an event at a luxurious Hong Kong hotel, showcasing the fruit to a crowd of influencers and journalists.
As the public eagerly consumes updates on Sun’s activities, his multi-million dollar investments and promotional antics continue to cement his status as a polarising figure in the cryptocurrency sphere.
