Gopi Thotakura, an Indian expatriate, became the first Indian space tourist. He joined the crew for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin’s NS-25 mission, marking the second time an Indian has ventured into space. The mission, which was the 25th flight for the New Shepard program, had six crew members, including Gopi Thotakura.

The crew included Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller, and former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight. President John F. Kennedy selected Ed Dwight in 1961 as the nation’s first black astronaut candidate, but he never had the chance to fly.

New Shepard has now flown 37 people into space. Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President of New Shepard, expressed gratitude to the astronaut customers for their participation and highlighted their role in advancing the mission to build a road to space for the benefit of Earth.

In a recent interview, Gopi Thotakura discussed his passion for flying and the mission’s focus on protecting Earth. He also mentioned the potential of space tourism to make space travel more accessible and affordable for civilians.

Furthermore, each astronaut carried a postcard to space on behalf of Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future, which aims to inspire and mobilise future generations to pursue careers in STEAM for the benefit of Earth.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, a former Indian Air Force pilot, was the first Indian citizen to fly to space in 1984.