Indian expatriate Gopi Thotakura made history by becoming the first Indian space tourist and the second Indian to venture into space as part of the crew for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin’s NS-25 mission. The Blue Origin successfully completed its seventh human spaceflight and the 25th flight for the New Shepard program on Sunday.
Thotakura, born in Andhra Pradesh, was part of the crew along with five other members. The astronaut crew included Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller, and former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, selected by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as the nation’s first black astronaut candidate.
New Shepard has now flown 37 people into space, including today’s crew. Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President at New Shepard, expressed gratitude to the astronaut customers for the opportunity to provide this life-changing experience, emphasizing their role as pioneers advancing the mission to build a road to space for the benefit of Earth.
In an exclusive interview with ANI last month, Thotakura spoke about his dream and passion for flying and how the mission works towards protecting Mother Earth. He expressed his excitement about the opportunity to see Earth from space firsthand, emphasizing the importance of experiencing it without the filter of documentation or someone else’s eye.
Thotakura also highlighted Blue Origin’s tagline, ’For the benefit of Earth,’ and the importance of protecting Mother Earth. Each astronaut carried a postcard to space on behalf of Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future, inspiring and mobilizing future generations to pursue careers in STEAM for the benefit of Earth.
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, a former Indian Air Force pilot, was the first Indian citizen to fly to space in 1984.