Blue Origin's 10th space tourism mission includes Indian-origin Tushar Mehta
What's the story
Blue Origin, the space company of billionaire Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its 10th space tourism mission on February 25. The suborbital New Shepard vehicle lifted off from a facility in West Texas, carrying six passengers including Indian-origin Tushar Mehta. The crew members named themselves "Perfect 10," in honor of this being Blue Origin's 10th manned flight.
Twitter Post
Take a look at the flight
Leave gravity behind ✨ pic.twitter.com/3iPdOf6qLh
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) February 26, 2025
Journey details
'Perfect 10' mission: A brief journey into suborbital space
The NS-30 flight, which is part of the 'Perfect 10' mission, spent about seven minutes in suborbital space. The vehicle's booster landed in a dusty Texas desert seven minutes after launch. Three minutes later, the flight's capsule returned to Earth with all three parachutes successfully deployed on descent. This was a major improvement from Blue Origin's previous uncrewed research flight earlier this February, where one of the capsule's parachutes failed to deploy.
Crew profile
Meet the crew members of NS-30 flight
The NS-30 flight was crewed by a six-member team, including Lane Bess, Jesus Calleja, Elaine Chia Hyde, Dr. Richard Scott, Mehta, and an undisclosed sixth member with the surname Wilson. Mehta is a partner and co-head of research at a quantitative hedge fund in New York City. He studied physics at MIT and is actively involved in philanthropy work. Mehta is the second Indian-origin person after Gopi Thotakura's venture into space as a tourist on the NS-25 mission.
Program overview
Blue Origin's space tourism program: A unique experience
Blue Origin's space tourism program promises a unique experience of weightlessness and a view of Earth against the backdrop of space. Each flight lasts for about 10-12 minutes, from liftoff to capsule touchdown. The company has not disclosed the cost per seat on their flights. However, it is known that Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin's main competitor in the suborbital space tourism industry, currently charges $600,000 per seat.