'I want future generations to dream big...': Gopichad Thotakura becomes India's first space tourist tomorrow

Indian-born pilot Gopichad Thotakura is set to become the first citizen from India to fly into space as a tourist aboard Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin spacecraft, New Shepard on Sunday.

Thotakura, a co-founder of a wellness company Preserve Life Corp and a seasoned pilot himself, was selected to join the six-member crew for Blue Origin's NS-25 mission. This suborbital flight will take the crew on a brief journey beyond the Earth's atmosphere, allowing them to experience the thrill of weightlessness and witness the curvature of the planet from space.

The Blue Origin New Shepard rocket will propel them past the Kármán Line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, allowing them to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and witness the curvature of our planet.

The launch is scheduled for 7 pm IST and will be streamed live on Blue Origin's social media platforms. The stream will start 40 minutes before the launch from Launch Site One in West Texas, USA.

“It is an incredible honour to become India's first civilian astronaut as I cross the Kármán line with Blue Origin's NS-25 mission. This journey is not just a personal milestone but a testament to India's growing presence in space exploration," Thotakura said in a statement.

"I hope to inspire future generations to dream big, pursue STEAM education, and reach for the stars. Together, we can achieve the unimaginable. I am deeply grateful to Blue Origin and everyone who supported me in this incredible endeavour," he added.

Gopi has been an international medical jet pilot and has flown various aircraft, including commercial jets, bush planes, aerobatic planes, seaplanes, gliders, and hot air balloons. He has completed over 2000 medical air ambulance missions. An avid traveler, he recently reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Gopi graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, is having its seventh human flight and 25th mission. It has already sent 31 people to the Kármán line.

Joining Gopichand Thotakura are:

• Mason Angel, founder of Industrious Ventures
• Sylvain Chiron, founder of Brasserie Mont Blanc
• Kenneth L. Hess, software engineer and entrepreneur
• Carol Schaller, retired CPA
• Ed Dwight, former US Air Force captain chosen by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as the first Black astronaut candidate, though he never flew to space.