Blue Origin’s 10th human spaceflight, the NS-30 mission, will lift off from West Texas on February 25th, carrying Tushar Shah and five fellow passengers. This is the 10th human flight of the New Shepard program and its 30th overall flight. Previously, the program flew 47 people to the Kármán line.
Blue Origin’s New Shepard missions, including NS-30, are designed to cross the Kármán line, offering passengers a brief yet transformative experience of weightlessness. During the 11-minute flight, astronauts soar beyond 100 km (62 miles), experiencing several minutes of microgravity and witnessing breathtaking views of Earth before returning safely.
The Kármán line is the internationally recognized boundary of space, located 100 km (62 miles) above Earth’s surface. It marks the point where the atmosphere becomes too thin for conventional aircraft to generate lift, and spaceflight begins.
New Shepard is a fully reusable suborbital rocket system designed for human spaceflight from the ground up. The vehicle is fully autonomous, requiring no pilots. Its six-seater pressurized crew capsule features large windows for every seat, providing stunning views of Earth. After the flight, the capsule safely returns using three parachutes, while the rocket autonomously lands back on Earth.
Tushar Shah
Tushar Shah, a partner and co-head of research at a quantitative hedge fund in New York City, holds a PhD in high-energy experimental particle physics and a bachelor’s degree in physics, both from MIT. He and his wife, Sara, are dedicated philanthropists, working to improve poverty alleviation, healthcare, and education. They live with their two children while continuing their efforts in both finance and philanthropy.
