MAY 20, 2024 : 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.
