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Geek Wire
10 minutes ago
- Geek Wire
Crypto billionaire takes his $28M space trip with five others on Blue Origin's rocket ship
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket ship rises from its West Texas launch pad. (Blue Origin via YouTube) Controversial crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun finally got his suborbital ride into space today from Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space venture, four years after he put in the winning $28 million bid for a seat. Five other spacefliers were alongside with Sun when Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket ship rose from its launch pad at the company's Launch Site One in West Texas at 7:43 a.m. CT (5:43 a.m. PT) for a 10-minute trip. When Sun emerged from the crew capsule, he made a thumbs-up gesture, then stepped down to kiss the ground. 'I wished to go into space since I was a child, and after almost 30 years, it's come true,' Sun said on Blue Origin's webcast. 'For this mission I waited four years, but we finally delivered it. I really appreciate Mr. Bezos and his team to make it possible. … This is my first commitment and step to space, and we will have more.' Sun is the founder of a blockchain venture called Tron and an adviser to HTX, one of the world's largest crypto exchanges. When the 35-year-old Chinese native won Blue Origin's space auction in 2021, it was meant to guarantee him a spot on New Shepard's first crewed flight that summer. Instead, Sun put his reservation on hold, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts. While Sun was waiting for his flight, legal complications arose: In 2023, he became the subject of a federal investigation over alleged market manipulation and unregistered sales of crypto asset securities. But that case was put on hold in February, and a couple of months later, Sun earned a place of prominence at a crypto dinner with President Donald Trump by purchasing the biggest share of the $TRUMP meme coin. Last month, Tron Inc. became a publicly listed company on Nasdaq. Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun flashes thumbs-up signs as he emerges from Blue Origin's New Shepard crew capsule. (Blue Origin via YouTube) Today's mission, known as NS-34, marked the 34th flight and 14th crewed flight for Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital space program. This flight followed the standard profile for crewed missions: The autonomously controlled, reusable rocket ship's hydrogen-fueled booster sent the crew capsule to an altitude of 65.7 miles (105.7 kilometers), just above the 100-kilometer Karman Line that marks the internationally accepted boundary of outer space. At that height, the NS-34 crew members experienced a few minutes of zero gravity and got an astronaut's-eye view of Earth beneath the black sky of space. Then, at the end of the ride, they made a parachute-assisted touchdown not far from their launch pad. Sun's five crewmates for NS-34 reflected varied backgrounds. Here's the list: Arvinder (Arvi) Singh Bahal is a real-estate investor and adventurer who was born in Agra, India, and is now a naturalized U.S. citizen. is a real-estate investor and adventurer who was born in Agra, India, and is now a naturalized U.S. citizen. Gökhan Erdem is a Turkish business executive and a board member of Erdem Holding, a diverse group of companies operating in the energy, telecommunications, construction and manufacturing sectors. is a Turkish business executive and a board member of Erdem Holding, a diverse group of companies operating in the energy, telecommunications, construction and manufacturing sectors. Deborah Martorell is a Puerto Rican meteorologist and journalist. Her reporting on environmental and space topics has garnered eight Emmy Awards and two Awards of Excellence in Science Reporting from the American Meteorological Society. is a Puerto Rican meteorologist and journalist. Her reporting on environmental and space topics has garnered eight Emmy Awards and two Awards of Excellence in Science Reporting from the American Meteorological Society. Lionel Pitchford is an Englishman who has spent the last four decades in Spain working as a teacher, translator and tour guide. He is the founder of a nonprofit in Nepal dedicated to serving disadvantaged children and girls, and has run an orphanage in Katmandu for more than 30 years. is an Englishman who has spent the last four decades in Spain working as a teacher, translator and tour guide. He is the founder of a nonprofit in Nepal dedicated to serving disadvantaged children and girls, and has run an orphanage in Katmandu for more than 30 years. James (J.D.) Russell is the founder of Alpha Funds, a technology-focused venture capital company; and Alpha Aerospace, an aerospace consulting and solutions company. He first flew to space on Blue Origin's NS-28 mission last November. 'It was an honor to see so many nations represented on our flight today,' Phil Joyce, Blue Origin's senior vice president for the New Shepard, said in an online recap of today's mission. '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.' Blue Origin has now sent 75 people on suborbital space trips, including Russell and four other people who have taken multiple trips. The company doesn't typically reveal how much its customers are paying for their flights. Sun's case is the rare exception, due to the fact that the 2021 auction was conducted publicly. Sun's $28 million fare went to Blue Origin's nonprofit educational foundation, the Club for the Future. Most of that money was distributed in the form of million-dollar grants to 19 space-focused nonprofits. In addition to the crew, today's flight carried more than 1,500 digital postcards and 16,000 physical postcards for the Club for the Future's 'Postcards in Space' program, which collects messages from students around the world. Sun set up his own 'To the Sun' program to collect messages — and carried more than 1,000 of those messages into space on a thumb drive. Sun's space ride isn't his only notable purchase: Last December, he made headlines when he spent $6.2 million to purchase a work of conceptual art featuring a banana that was duct-taped to a wall — and then ate the banana. And for what it's worth, Sun isn't the only controversial crypto figure to take a trip on New Shepard. In February, Blue Origin withheld the identity of one of its spacefliers on the NS-30 mission. An analysis of photos and references to the flier in public records, including the Federal Aviation Administration's list of spaceflight participants, suggested that the mystery man was an Australian crypto entrepreneur named Russell Wilson (not to be confused with the former Seahawks quarterback). In response to emailed inquiries, a Blue Origin representative told GeekWire that the company works with a third party to accept crypto payments for spaceflights.
American Press
an hour ago
- American Press
Building solar-powered rovers, making slime part of NASA Astro Camp experience
Youth in Allen Parish are currently immersed in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning at NASA Astro Camp, engaging in experiments and hands-on activities that are inspiring their curiosity. Students in grades 4-8 have been working to build solar-powered rovers, create a heliometer, grow plants in space and make slime in bags as part of the weeklong NASA Astro Camp at the district's new Pathway learning center in Oberlin. Oakdale High School biology teacher Chiara Crawford said the program incorporates real-world applications of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as problem-solving skills. It also focuses on developing critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills. 'They are learning about space, but they are also learning engineering type skills, how to deal with screws, wires, motors and making circuits,' Crawford said. 'These are skills they can use in science and everyday life.' She also stressed the importance of problem-solving, noting that it is crucial for students to understand that setbacks are not insurmountable and that they can develop the skills to overcome challenges without becoming frustrated. Crawford also hopes the camp will open the students' eyes to space and science and get them excited about science in the classroom. Instructional Support Supervisor LaDeisha George hopes the camp will inspire the students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 'Hopefully if nothing else there is an awareness and that they are excited about the possibilities, opportunities and fields of study that exist with STEM,' George said, adding that programs like the Astro Camp help raise an awareness and understanding of the skills that can lead to future careers. George noted that Allen Parish is within driving distance of NASA facilities in Houston, Mississippi and Florida. 'A lot of them don't know what they can do and what's out there for them,' George said. Twelve-year-old Bentley Sweat, a seventh grader, who likes to build things, said he is having a blast at the camp. 'My favorite thing was building the solar-powered rover because I like to see how things move using very simple things,' Sweat said. Sweat increased the power to his rover by taking the motor from a remote control car. Harley Perkins, 13, an eighth grader at Oberlin High School, said the camp was perfect because she likes figuring out how things work and how to build things. 'I like science because it's interesting to learn different things,' she said, adding that she wants to be a teacher. Ten-year-old Hoyt Davis, a sixth grader at Oberlin Elementary School, said the camp is helping him learn about engineering and how to build a solar-powered rover. Classmate Brayden Martin, 12, has been enjoying learning how astronauts grow plants in space For 12-year-old Lennox All, a sixth grader at Kinder Middle School, making the slime was the best part because it was messy.
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Healthy Living Helps the Aging Brain
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association makes a compelling case that a healthy lifestyle does an aging brain good. That might sound obvious. Eat well, exercise, challenge yourself mentally, have an active social life and you'll be better off for it. Yet researchers are just starting to offer concrete data to support the theory that making conscientious lifestyle changes can lower the risk of dementia, which is estimated to affect some 6 million Americans.
