Justin Sun Blasts Off: TRON Founder Joins Blue Origin’s Elite Space Mission

Cryptocurrency's most controversial showman is leaving Earth—for a few minutes, at least.

Justin Sun, the polarizing founder of TRON, just secured a golden ticket aboard Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin spacecraft. The self-proclaimed 'young Ma Yun' of blockchain will now add 'astronaut' to his LinkedIn profile—assuming the rocket doesn't accept payment in TRX.

Subheader: A Giant Leap for Crypto-Kind?

Blue Origin's passenger manifest reads like a who's-who of billionaires paying seven figures for weightlessness. Sun's inclusion raises eyebrows—did he liquidate some of those 'stablecoin reserves,' or is this another marketing masterstroke?

The mission coincides suspiciously with TRON's latest 'ecosystem upgrade.' Coincidence? Or the most literal moon shot in crypto history?

Subheader: Gravity-Defying Economics

Sun's space jaunt sparks questions: Is this a vanity project, or a calculated move to outshine Vitalik's stargazing tweets? Either way, it's cheaper than buying another Picasso.

One thing's certain—when the capsule touches down, Sun will descend upon a very different financial landscape. Crypto markets move faster than orbital velocity, and today's moonshot could be tomorrow's crash landing.

The Story Behind Justin Sun’s Space Journey

Alongside Sun, the crew includes Arvi Bahal, Gökhan Erdem, meteorologist Deborah Martorell, Lionel Pitchford, and J.D. Russell, who flew on a previous New Shepard flight.

Meet the New Shepard NS-34 crew: Arvi Bahal, Gökhan Erdem, Deborah Martorell, Lionel Pitchford, J.D. Russell, and H.E. Justin Sun. Read more: https://t.co/geIhqUDQ0R pic.twitter.com/T1bv4a3ukh

Sun secured his seat in 2021 by winning a $28 million charity auction organized by Blue Origin. The organization donated the auction proceeds to “Club for the Future,” a STEM-focused foundation backed by Blue Origin. 

Although originally scheduled for an earlier flight, Sun’s trip was postponed until now. NS-34 will be the 34th mission of New Shepard and the 14th carrying human passengers. 

Furthermore, the rocket is a suborbital, reusable launch vehicle designed for brief spaceflights that cross the Kármán line. This is the internationally recognized boundary of space at 100 kilometers above Earth.

The flight will last about 10 minutes. During this time, passengers will experience several minutes of weightlessness before the capsule returns to Earth using parachutes. 

All launches take place from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas.

Notably, the New Shepard is distinct from Blue Origin’s larger orbital rocket, the New Glenn. While New Glenn is intended for satellite launches and interplanetary missions, the New Shepard focuses on suborbital tourism and scientific payloads.

In 2021, I bid $28M for a seat on @BlueOrigin’s New Shepard rocket—funds that went to @clubforfuture, Blue Origin’s foundation, to support 19 space-based charities inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders.

Proud to join Blue Origin’s NS-34 mission and continue encouraging… https://t.co/oLV4ly1Wtv

While Chun Wang, co-founder of a major Bitcoin mining pool, became the first crypto entrepreneur to fly to space on a SpaceX orbital mission earlier this year, Sun will be the first crypto industry leader to do so aboard Blue Origin.

Meanwhile, a livestream of the NS-34 launch will be available on Blue Origin’s website. The company has not yet announced the final launch date.