Indian Entrepreneur Gopichand Thotakura to Join Blue Origin Space Mission

April 13, 2024

Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, has announced that Indian national Gopichand Thotakura will be part of a six-member crew on the next New Shepard mission.

If successful, Thotakura will become the second Indian citizen in space after wing commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984, and the first Indian civilian astronaut.

The date of the NS-25 suborbital mission has not been announced but is expected to happen in the next few weeks. Thotakura, 30, is currently the co-founder of Preserve Life, a wellness center in the US, while retaining his Indian passport.

The other members of the crew include venture capitalist Mason Angel, French entrepreneur Sylvain Chiron, US tech entrepreneur Kenneth L Hess, retired accountant Carol Schaller, and former US Air Force captain Ed Dwight, who was the first US black astronaut candidate in 1961. However, he was never able to join a mission. This diverse crew marks a significant step in space exploration.

About New Shephard

Blue Origin’s New Shepard mission successfully completed its first crewed suborbital flight on July 20, 2021. The reusable rocket system, named after the first American in space, Alan Shepard, carried a crew of four, including founder Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and student Oliver Daemen. The capsule reached an altitude of 107 km before safely returning to Earth, marking a significant milestone in the company’s quest for commercial space tourism.

Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos is the founder of Blue Origin, a private aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company. He is also the founder and CEO of Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer. Bezos has a net worth of over $200 billion, making him one of the richest people in the world.

Blue Origin is known for its reusable rocket technology and is working towards making space travel more accessible and affordable for everyone.

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