Indian-origin Tushar Shah, a graduate of MIT and a member of Blue Origin’s six-person crew, successfully completed an 11-minute suborbital journey aboard the NS-30 mission. The spaceflight, launched from West Texas on Tuesday night, is part of Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin space tourism program.
Shah, known for his private nature, holds a PhD in high-energy experimental particle physics from MIT. Currently a hedge fund partner, he and his wife, Sara, are philanthropists focused on tackling issues related to poverty, healthcare, and education. His journey to space coincides with growing collaboration between India and the US in the space sector.
During the mission, the spacecraft crossed the internationally recognized boundary of space, the Kármán line, situated 100 km above Earth. The crew briefly experienced weightlessness before the capsule safely returned 11 minutes later, executing a precise landing.
Blue Origin’s New Shepard program has now flown a total of 52 people across 30 spaceflights, including several repeat astronauts. With space tourism advancing rapidly, Shah’s flight adds to the growing list of individuals venturing beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
