Agra, India-born real estate investor Arvinder (Arvi) Singh Bahal is set for a space trip as a crew member on Blue Origin’s14th human flight for the New Shepard program and the 34th in its history.
A lifelong traveler and adventurer, Bahal has visited every country in the world, the North and South Poles, and skydived Mount Everest and the Pyramids of Giza. He holds a private pilot’s license and also flies helicopters.
Besides Bahal, Gökhan Erdem, Deborah Martorell, Lionel Pitchford, J.D. Russell, and Justin Sun, a crypto entrepreneur and diplomat from Grenada, the winning bidder for the first New Shepard seat in 2021, will be flying on NS-34 mission, Blue Origin announced.
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The proceeds from the $28 million bid benefitted 19 space-focused charities to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEAM and help shape the future of life in space. J.D. is flying for the second time; he previously flew on NS-28.
To date, Blue Origin has flown 70 people above the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. The flight date will be announced soon. The live webcast on launch day will start 30 minutes before liftoff.
Bahal is the second Indian American to be included in an NS mission after Gopichand Thotakura, who became the first Indian space tourist aboard Blue Origin’s NS-25 mission.
He was initially selected for India’s National Defense Academy but was medically discharged after an injury when he fell off a horse playing pole.
A graduate of the University of Pune, he has a diverse professional history, including working on a tea plantation, in electrical manufacturing, hotel management, and sportswear importing before transitioning to real estate.
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Flying with Bahal would be Erdem, a Turkish businessman and board member of Erdem Holding, is a space enthusiast and photographer with dreams of reaching the International Space Station.
Martorell, an Emmy-winning meteorologist and science journalist from Puerto Rico, is known for her environmental and space coverage.
Indian cuisine cooking supplies.
Pitchford, a British teacher and humanitarian who lives in Spain, founded a nonprofit in Nepal after losing family members in a plane crash.
Russell, an American entrepreneur and aerospace investor, is flying for a second time after previously joining the NS-28 mission.