(April 22, 2024) Nearly forty years following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s journey aboard Soyuz T-11 into space, another Indian is poised to soar among the stars once more. Entrepreneur and and aviator, Gopichand Thotakura, has been selected as part of the six-membered crew of Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin for its next civilian spaceflight. Gopichand will fly to space in what would be Blue Origin’s seventh crewed endeavour and the 25th overall mission (NS-25) aboard the New Shepard spacecraft.
Gopichand, co-founder of Preserve Life Corp, a global hub for holistic wellness and applied health near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, is set to embark on a journey beyond Earth’s atmosphere. The Global Indian will be part of a six-member team boarding a spacecraft for a trip reaching 100 km above the Earth’s surface, crossing the Karman Line, the internationally recognised boundary of space. During the mission, the crew will experience several minutes of weightlessness before returning to Texas in the United States. In a media statement, the aviator described himself as the “first civilian Indian astronaut”.
This upcoming mission marks the seventh human flight for the New Shepard program and the 25th in its history. So far, the programme has launched 31 humans above the Kármán line, representing the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space. The specific launch date for this mission is yet to be announced.
A nomadic life
Hailing from Vijayawada and educated in Visakhapatnam, the aviator revealed that his schooling was nomadic, as he frequently moved due to his father’s business travels. “But that exposed me to various cultures and sparked my fascination with aviation at a young age,” he said, adding, “I first visited a cockpit while aboard a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. That got me thinking if I could also become a pilot someday. Thus after finishing my schooling, I pursued a degree in Aeronautical Science and Business Administration at the Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, USA.”
After graduating, Gopichand pursued a career as a pilot, navigating the skies in bush planes, hot air balloons, and seaplanes throughout the USA. However, after approximately five years in the States, he returned to India and transitioned into medical evacuation, assisting numerous individuals across 52 countries. This experience profoundly enriched his appreciation for life. “I was always very keen to become an astronaut,” shared the aviator. “When I came to the U.S. in 2010, this meant either going via NASA or being a U.S. citizen and these were barriers for me. Blue Origin opened up opportunities.”
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To the stars
While it’s not disclosed how he bagged a seat on NS-25, the aviator shared that there is no real selection process or criteria for this program. ” I was hell-bent on getting aboard a manned mission. It is a desire to carry Indian blood to space,” he said. Blue Origin keeps the cost of space travel under wraps, while a ticket with Virgin Galactic in 2021 was priced at $450,000. Blue Origin has offered free rides to celebrities, with reports of a seat on its 2021 flight being auctioned for $28 million. Additionally, some individuals have paid $1 million for the experience, while others have secured sponsorship.
Gopi Thotakura (centre) at Preserve Life Corporation health and wellness centre in Atlanta
As part of his mission, he will carry postcards and a variety of payloads, which will later serve as memorabilia. “I want to show that you have to have a dream and it is not really important if you are a scientist, engineer, or a pilot to be able to go to space,” the aviator said, adding, “India launched Chandrayaan and Mars missions at a fraction of the costs it would take internationally. With just a little bit more funding, India could easily be a pioneer in commercial space travel.”
Gopichand Thotakura to become 2nd Indian to fly to space
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An avid traveller and mountaineer, Gopichand is all for space tourism. “The mission for Blue Origin or any other company is to make it affordable. What the affordable number is, we still don’t know but to make it affordable, it has to start somewhere,” the aviator expressed, adding that Blue Origin has partnered with NASA to establish a private International Space Station, aiming to expand space tourism and venture into this sector. “I believe that space tourism is where the future is.”
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