Gopi Thotakura Becomes First Indian Tourist In Space As Part Of Blue Origin’s New Shepard-25 Mission

History was made on Sunday evening when Gopi Thotakura, an India-born entrepreneur and pilot, became the first Indian citizen to venture into space as a tourist. This achievement was part of Blue Origin's New Shepard-25 (NS-25) mission, which lifted off from the company's West Texas launch site at around 8:05 IST, an hour behind its scheduled launch time of 9:35 AM local US time.

Thotakura, who hails from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, joined a crew that included Ed Dwight, Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, and Carol Schaller. Among these, Ed Dwight, aged 90, set another record by becoming the oldest person to travel to space, surpassing William Shatner who was almost two months younger when he flew with Blue Origin in 2021.

Despite residing and working in the US, Thotakura has retained his Indian citizenship, making his spaceflight a proud moment for the nation. His achievement places him in the ranks of other notable astronauts of Indian origin, such as Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams, Raja Chari, and Sirisha Bandla, who all flew as US citizens. The only other Indian citizen to have been to space before Thotakura was Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew as a professional cosmonaut aboard Soyuz T-11 in 1984.

Following its delayed takeoff, the NS-25 mission proceeded smoothly. The rocket ascended beyond the Kármán line-the internationally recognized boundary of space. The entire mission was completed in about 15 minutes, with the rocket returning to Earth and landing upright a few minutes after launch. The capsule, carrying the six crew members, touched down successfully with the aid of two out of its three parachutes.

Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, celebrated the mission's success. The company's statement on X (formerly Twitter) read, "Capsule touchdown. Welcome back, NS25 crew!" This mission marked the first crew launch for Blue Origin in nearly two years.

A statement from Blue Origin highlighted Thotakura's background. "Gopi Thotakura is a lifelong pilot and aviator who learned how to fly before he could drive. He flies jets commercially, in addition to piloting bush, aerobatic, and seaplanes," it read. Thotakura co-founded Preserve Life Corp, a global centre for holistic wellness and applied health located near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Thotakura's academic credentials include a BSc in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the US. He has also worked in medical air evacuation services in India. His adventurous spirit was further evidenced by his recent ascent to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Ed Dwight's journey to space, although delayed by decades, is another highlight of the NS-25 mission. Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1961, Dwight's path to space was obstructed by the racial barriers of his time. Now, at the age of 90 years, 8 months, and 10 days, Dwight has finally realized, what then remained a dream.

The NS-25 mission is a notable chapter in Blue Origin's New Shepard program, which had not seen a crewed launch since August 2022 due to an engine failure in September of the same year. After investigations and design corrections, the company resumed its flights successfully with an uncrewed mission in December 2023. The recent mission was the seventh human flight for New Shepard and the 25th in its history.

In total, Blue Origin has now flown 31 humans above the internationally recognized boundary of space. Plans include the debut of the larger and more powerful New Glenn rocket, designed to launch cargo to orbit, and ambitions to send humans to the moon later this decade for NASA.

Thotakura's historic flight shows India's growing presence in the global space tourism sector and the potential for increased international collaboration in space exploration.

*Inputs from The Times of India*