TRON founder Justin Sun blasts off on Blue Origin rocket

Cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun soared to the edge of space Sunday aboard a Blue Origin rocket, nearly three years after winning his seat with a $28 million bid.

The TRON founder and Trump family ally had initially secured a spot on Blue Origin’s first crewed launch with Jeff Bezos in 2021, but postponed the flight.

On Sunday morning, Sun joined five other passengers—including a teacher, a venture capitalist, and a meteorologist—for a brief suborbital ride aboard the New Shepard rocket from West Texas, according to Bloomberg News. The mission marked Blue Origin’s 14th human flight and continued the company’s push to make space tourism a mainstream spectacle.

Proceeds from Sun’s winning bid went to Blue Origin’s Club for the Future, a foundation supporting space-focused charities.

Blue Origin

The crew lifted off at 7:42 a.m. local time, experiencing a few minutes of weightlessness at the edge of space before returning safely to Earth. Alongside Sun were real estate investor Arvi Bahal; Turkish businessman Gökhan Erdem; meteorologist and journalist Deborah Martorell; teacher Lionel Pitchford; and J.D. Russell, founder of Alpha Funds.

Sun’s participation was officially revealed just weeks before the flight, when Blue Origin announced the passenger list for its New Shepard NS-34 mission. The blockchain mogul’s bid made headlines in 2021, though his identity as the winning bidder was initially kept under wraps.

Previous high-profile New Shepard passengers have included pop star Katy Perry and Lauren Sánchez, now married to Bezos.

While the trip lasted just minutes, it capped a long-awaited personal milestone for Sun—and reaffirmed Blue Origin’s role in ushering wealthy adventurers and celebrities into the space age.