The First Indian Space Tourist

Blog Credit: Trupti Thakur

Image Courtesy: Google

The First Indian Space Tourist

On Sunday, when Blue Origin’s New Shepard lifted off from a private ranch in West Texas, it not just left a trail of white smoke but also that of history. Among the six-member crew that left the earth’s gravity was an Indian — the first to enter space as a tourist. And also a Black astronaut.

With it, New Shepard returned to space tourism after a two-year hiatus following a rocket mishap in September 2022. This landmark mission marks the seventh human voyage for the revered New Shepard program and the 25th in its storied legacy.

Amidst the select cadre embarking on Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin New Shepard-25 (NS-25) mission was Gopichand Thotakura, an Indian-origin entrepreneur and pilot. And in another first, former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight became the first Black astronaut to enter the space.

Departing from the Launch Site One base nestled in West Texas, the flight received widespread attention across social media platforms from the aerospace firm.

As the spacecraft crossed the Karman Line, the universally recognised boundary of space positioned 62 miles (100 km) above sea level, the travellers relished the awe-inspiring panorama of Earth’s curvature. These intrepid explorers, if only for a fleeting moment, experienced weightlessness and engaged in whimsical activities like mid-air calisthenics.

Indian expatriate Gopi Thotakura made history as he became 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.

Andhra-born Gopi Thotakura was a part of the crew among five other crew members.

Besides Gopi Thotakura, the astronaut crew included Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller, and former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, who was selected by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as the nation’s first black astronaut candidate but never had the opportunity to fly, the official website of Blue Origin stated.

Moreover, New Shepard has now flown 37 people into space, including today’s crew.

Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President, New Shepard, said, “A big thank you to our astronaut customers for the opportunity to provide this life-changing experience.”

“Each of you are pioneers helping to advance our mission to build a road to space for the benefit of Earth,” Joyce added.

 

 

 

Blog By: Trupti Thakur