Edge of Space From Agra: 80-year-old Indian Origin Man Arvi Bahal Flies Aboard Blue Origin

Arvinder “Arvi” Singh Bahal, an 80-year-old adventurer and real estate investor born in Agra, India, went to space on Saturday aboard Blue Origin’s NS-34 mission. The rocket launched from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas, marking another big step for private space travel.

Blue Origin described Bahal as a naturalized US citizen and a lifelong explorer. He has visited every country in the world, traveled to both the North and South Poles, and even skydived over Mount Everest and the Pyramids of Giza. He also holds a private pilot’s license and flies helicopters.

Arvi Bahal Was Born in 1945 and Moved to USA in 1970’s

Bahal was one of six passengers on the 14th crewed flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard program. The other crew members included:

1) Justin Sun, Chinese crypto entrepreneur and TRON founder

2) Deborah Martorell, a meteorologist from Puerto Rico

3) Gokhan Erdem, a businessman from Turkey

4) Lionel Pitchford, a British educator and humanitarian

5) American businessman JD Russell is making his second trip to space.

The spaceflight’s duration was hardly ten minutes and returned after going across the Karman line, 100 kilometers above earth and is widely viewed as the edge of space.

The space flight was a dream come true and a pinnacle in Bahal’s lifelong exploration journey; he is a qualified pilot and has flown over Mount Everest.

Blue Origin: Specialization in Private Space Travel

This was Blue Origin’s third human mission in 2025. Earlier in the year, the company flew an all-female celebrity crew that included Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sanchez, pop star Katy Perry, and TV host Gayle King.

Arvinder Singh Bahal was born in Agra, India on October 13, 1945 and grew up near the Taj Mahal. He currently lives in Beverly, Massachusetts, USA.

Bahal is the president of Bahal Properties, a real estate company he has led since 1975, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He got married in 1979 and has four grandchildren from two children.

In 1962, he joined India’s National Defense Academy but had to leave after a polo accident caused partial hearing loss. He then worked for nearly four years on a Scottish-owned tea plantation in Darjeeling. By 1970, he had started a garment manufacturing business near Delhi.

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