Gopi Thotakura to be first Indian American on Jeff Bezos’ space flight

Indian American entrepreneur and pilot Gopi Thotakura is poised to become the first Indian to journey to the edge of space aboard Blue Origin’s next flight. He will join a six-person crew on Blue Origin’s NS-25 mission

Thotakura is co-founder of Preserve Life Corp, a global center for holistic wellness and applied health, located near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

He is a pilot and aviator who learned how to fly before he could drive, according to Blue Origin, Kent, Washington-headquartered American aerospace manufacturer, defense contractor, launch service provider and space technologies company founded by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

READ: Sanjal Gavande, Indian American woman behind Bezos’ space flight (July 20, 2021)

In addition to flying jets commercially, Thotakura pilots bush, aerobatic, and seaplanes, as well as gliders and hot air balloons, and has served as an international medical jet pilot.

A lifelong traveler, his most recent adventure took him to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Thotakura is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Thotakura, born in Vijayawada, a city in Andhra Pradesh, attended Sarala Birla Academy, a private school in Bengaluru, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Five other members of the crew are: 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 was never granted the opportunity to fly to space.

This mission will be the seventh human flight for the New Shepard program and the 25th in its history. To date, the program has flown 31 humans above the Kármán line

REAED: Sirisha Bandla becomes third Indian American space woman (July 12, 2021)

Each astronaut will carry a postcard to space on behalf of Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future. This program gives students access to space on Blue Origin’s rockets, including an all-digital method to create and send postcards.The Club’s mission is to inspire and mobilize future generations to pursue careers in STEAM for the benefit of Earth.

From an environmental standpoint, nearly 99% of New Shepard’s dry mass is reused, including the booster, capsule, engine, landing gear, and parachutes. New Shepard’s engine is fueled by highly efficient liquid oxygen and hydrogen. During flight, the only byproduct is water vapor with no carbon emissions.

The flight date will be announced soon.