Meet Gopi Thotakura: India’s first pilot to journey into space as a tourist

New Delhi, April 12 – Gopi Thotakura, a pilot, is set to become the first Indian to travel to the edge of space on Blue Origin’s next flight.

The Indian American will be a part of the six-person crew flying on Blue Origin’s NS-25 mission. Jeff Bezos’ space venture is yet to announce the dates.

“Gopi is a pilot and aviator who learned how to fly before he could drive,” according to Blue Origin.

Besides being a commercial pilot, he is also a medical jet pilot and an avid traveller, who recently aced “the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro” a volcano in Tanzania.

“Gopi pilots bush, aerobatic, and seaplanes, as well as gliders and hot air balloons, and has served as an international medical jet pilot”.

“A graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Gopi is also the co-founder of Preserve Life, a global centre for holistic wellness and applied health located near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport,” Blue Origin said.

Born in Vijayawada, a city in Andhra Pradesh, Gopi studied at Sarala Birla Academy, a private school in Bengaluru, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Blue Origin has, since July 2021, carried out six crewed flights, and CEO Jeff Bezos himself took part in the first.

The company’s reusable New Shepard rocket will take the six-person crew to space above the Karman line– an internationally recognised boundary of space that lies 62 miles (100 km) above the Earth’s surface– in a typical 11-minute flight.