India's first civilian space tourist Thotakura meets Vice-President Dhankar

Gopichand Thotakura made history by becoming the second Indian citizen to travel to space, and first space tourist

Captain Gopichand Thotakura, India's first civilian space tourist, met Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar on Monday. He recently travelled to space as part of the crew for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin's New Shepard-25 (NS-25) mission.

Earlier in the day, Thotakura received a warm welcome upon his arrival in Delhi.

He said, "The feeling has been awaited for a long time. I am very happy to be back home. It is a very proud moment for India as well. I am honoured to be representing the country and very excited for everyone else to go and do something in space with Origin or any other organisation. I am leaving to meet my parents and grandparents at home. People around me are more excited."

 

Gopichand Thotakura made history by becoming the second Indian citizen to travel to space. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, a former Indian Air Force pilot, was the first Indian citizen to travel to space in 1984.

Earlier, in an exclusive interview with ANI, Thotakura spoke about his dream and passion for flying and how the mission is working towards protecting Mother Earth. He also discussed space tourism and its potential to open new avenues, making it affordable and accessible for civilians.

Elaborating on his experience, he said, "I can't express my feelings right now because it's something that isn't in the urban dictionary. It's something I take with me. I always tell people that right from when you're born until the time you leave, you wake up and want to see the sky, want to take a breath, but I wanted to have this opportunity to do the reverse, to go up there and see down here. Movies do a fantastic job, but what the naked eye can see, you have to experience yourself. The whole excitement is about looking back and seeing what's going on, without it being documented or seen through someone else's eyes."

He further emphasised Blue Origin's tagline, 'For the benefit of Earth,' and added that he believes protecting Mother Earth is vital. "It is for the protection of Mother Earth that they are seeking life and adventure outside the planet," he said.

When asked about space tourism, he said, "The mission for Blue Origin or any other company is to make it affordable. What the affordable number is, we still don't know, but to make it affordable, it has to start somewhere."

He also mentioned that Blue Origin has partnered with Nasa to open a private international space station to expand space tourism and grow the sector. "I believe that space tourism is where the future lies," he added.

Gopichand stressed the importance of pursuing one's dreams and advised the younger generation that with dedication and determination, they can achieve their goals. The mission of the club is to inspire and mobilise future generations to pursue careers in STEAM for the benefit of Earth.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origin announced the six-person crew for its NS-25 mission, which included Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L Hess, Carol Schaller, Gopi Thotakura, and former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight.

Notably, Ed Dwight was selected by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as the nation's first black astronaut candidate. Unfortunately, he was never given the opportunity to fly to space.