In a historic feat, Indian-born pilot Gopi Thotakura has written his name in the annals of space exploration as the first Indian tourist to venture into space on Blue Origin's NS-25 mission. He is the second Indian to fly into space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984. Six astronauts, including Thotakura, made a space trip on Sunday.
They boarded Blue Origin's New Shepard (NS-25) rocket and capsule, which launched at 9:36 a.m. local time from West Texas, USA. Blue Origin posted a video on its official Instagram showing Thotakura holding a small Indian flag in space.
Thotakura's passion for aviation dates back to his early years when he mastered the skies before he could even maneuver on country roads. He co-founded Preserve Life Corp, a wellness center near Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. His flying skills span a wide spectrum, from piloting commercial aircraft to navigating bush planes, aerobatic wonders, seaplanes, gliders and even hot air balloons. His repertoire also includes serving as an international pilot of medical jets. Originally from Andhra Pradesh, he graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
The NS-25 mission was the seventh manned flight for Blue Origin and the 25th flight in the New Shepard program schedule. During this mission, a total of 31 people were taken across the Kármán Line, the generally accepted boundary of space. New Shepard is a suborbital space tourism spacecraft developed by Blue Origin with a focus on reusability.
The NS-25 crew also included Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller and Ed Dwight, a former Air Force captain who was selected by President Kennedy in 1961 as the first black astronaut candidate but never flew in space. During the flight, each astronaut carried a postcard for Blue Origin's Club for the Future program, which aims to inspire careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) fields.
New Shepard focuses on environmental sustainability by reusing almost all of its dry mass, such as the booster and capsule. Its engine runs on efficient liquid oxygen and hydrogen, releasing only water vapor as a byproduct and producing no carbon emissions.
