Gopi Thotakura, hailing from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, has etched his name in history as the inaugural Indian space tourist and the second Indian to explore space, joining an esteemed team for Blue Origin’s New Shepard-25 (NS-25) mission.
Departing from Blue Origin’s launch site in West Texas, USA, the NS-25 mission lifted off around 8:05 pm on Sunday, May 19, slightly delayed from its planned departure.
This mission marks Blue Origin’s seventh human spaceflight and the 25th flight under the New Shepard program. Notably, it signifies New Shepard’s achievement of carrying 37 individuals into space.
The NS-25 crew consisted of six members, including the Indian entrepreneur and aviator Thotakura. Accompanying him on this journey through Earth’s atmosphere were Ed Dwight, Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L Hess, and Carol Schaller. Noteworthy is the presence of 90-year-old Ed Dwight, an African-American astronaut candidate, making him the eldest crew member to venture into space after a considerable hiatus.
Thotakura, an Indian heritage pilot, holds a B.Sc in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has experience working in medical air evacuation services in India.
Before Gopi Thotakura, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was the sole Indian citizen to journey to space on April 3, 1984, as a participant in the Soviet Interkosmos program. Sharma travelled to space aboard Soyuz T-11 as a professional cosmonaut. In addition to Sharma, Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams, Raja Chari, and Sirisha Bandla are astronauts of Indian origin who have travelled to space, but they are all citizens of the United States.
