Who Was the First Indian Pilot to Enter Space As a Tourist? Gopichand Thotakura

New Delhi: Indian pilot Gopichand Thotakura is about to make history by becoming the first person from his country to go into space as a tourist. Along with five other applicants, he has been chosen to be a member of the crew on Blue Origin’s New Shephard-25 (NS-25) mission, which will take them outside of Earth’s atmosphere.

Gopichand Thotakura, a pilot and businessman, has joined a select group of 31 applicants who have successfully crossed the Karman line, which separates Earth’s atmosphere from space.

Thotakura, an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University alumnus with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science, defied expectations by learning to pilot an aircraft before becoming a skilled driver.

Blue Origin, an aerospace company: Everything You Should Know
The announcement follows the publication of the six-person crew member list for Blue Origin’s NS-25 mission by the aerospace corporation. It’s noteworthy to note that this will be the seventh flight of the New Shepard spacecraft and the 25th mission in the program’s existence. Thirty-one individuals have been taken beyond the Karman line—an arbitrary border accepted by all countries as the beginning of space—by the new Shepard programme so far.

Gopi Thotakura: who is she?
Gopi Thotakura is a co-founder of Preserve Life Corp, a wellness clinic close to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. She was born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
Gopi Thotakura studied aviation management at Emirates Aviation University in Dubai after earning a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida.
In addition to serving as the President of ERAU Unicef, Gopi Thotakura’s Facebook page lists him as a former captain at VSR Ventures, an aviation consultant in Delhi, a security coordinator at Touch-N-Go Productions in Florida, and so on.
Gopi Thotakura, who is now a pilot and aviator, began learning to fly before he could drive.
Today, Gopi Thotakura is capable of piloting a wide range of aircraft, including seaplanes, gliders, commercial jets, bush planes, aerobatic planes, and even hot air balloons. In addition, Mr. Thotakura has experience flying international medical jets.