Blue Origin revealed the six-person crew flying on its NS-25 mission (New Shepard) which also includes the first civil Indian Astronaut, Capt. Gopichand Thotakura. The other crew includes, Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller and former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight. This mission will be the seventh human flight for the New Shepard program and the 25th in its history. As on date, the program has flown 31 humans above the Kármán line.
Ever since, Rakesh Sharma, the only Indian astronaut who could travel to the space on Soyuz T-11 in 1984, we have not witnessed any such expedition till date by an Indian. After four decades of wait, another Indian, Capt. Gopichand Thotakura, is going to achieve this milestone soon. He is an Indian civil astronaut selected by Blue Origin for its New Shepard’s 25th Mission alongwith five other Astronaut from across the world.
The Blue Origin has been flight testing the New Shepard rocket and its redundant safety systems since 2012, its been always the talk for the world.
The New Shepard crew capsule in the West Texas desert following NS-24 (December 19, 2023). Pix for representation only. Courtesy: Blue Origin
Blue Origin was founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and its New Shepard Space program it has completed 22 successful consecutive missions including three successful escape tests, showing the crew escape system can activate safely in any phase of flight. Blue Origin’s efforts include flying astronauts to space on New Shepard, producing reusable liquid rocket engines, developing an orbital launch vehicle with New Glenn, building next-generation space habitats, and returning to the surface of the Moon. These endeavors will add new chapters to the history of spaceflight and move all of humanity closer to that founding vision.
Capt. Gopichand Thotakura and His Passion
Capt. Gopichand Thotakura is a pilot and aviator who learned how to fly before he could drive. He is the co-founder of Preserve Life Corp, a global center for holistic wellness and applied health located near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. In addition to flying jets commercially, Capt. Gopi 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.
As part of the New Shepard’s 25th Mission program, 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, which can be found here. The Club’s mission is to inspire and mobilize future generations to pursue careers in STEAM for the benefit of Earth.
In India, Capt. Gopichand Thotakura founded Charlie Foxtrot in 2019 to cater to the requirements of individuals and companies looking for professional private aviation services. The company provides private jet charters to help people save time and get their desired comfort while traveling for business or leisure. You can get everything from private jets to business jets, from air ambulances to other private aviation support.
Capt. Gopichand Thotakura Professional Journey
Born into a humble background in Vijaywada, India, Capt. Gopichand Thotakura always knew he wanted to be up in the skies and explore space someday. Being an aviation enthusiast, Gopichand followed his passion and became a pilot before he could drive.
He graduated as the senior class president at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he pursued a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science. He delivered his graduation commencement speech with astronaut Nicole Stot, a proud moment for Gopichand Thotakura as a commercial pilot.
During his training from Jan. 2012 to Aug. 2015, he performed exceptional tasks and participated in multiple activities to stand out from the rest. He also achieved multiple awards and recognitions at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, like the Outstanding Leadership Award, Good Samaritan Award, and Outstanding Safety and Dedication Award.
His quest to explore more than just commercial flying enabled him to pursue advanced trainings like Normobaric Chamber Hypoxia High Altitude Lab training, Airline Flight Crew Techniques and Procedures, and he emphasized the importance of Crew Resource Management (CRM). Apart from the advanced training, he became a professional bush pilot, aerobatic pilot, seaplane pilot, glider pilot, international medical pilot, and even a hot air balloon instructor.
A great aspect of Capt. Gopichand Thotakura’s aviation career is that he has also flown experimental aircraft; he owns an Aircam by Lockwood Aviation, a one-of-its-kind three-seater tandem experimental ultralight airplane that he assembled himself.
Another major highlight of his aviation career is his tenure as a pioneer in India’s medical air ambulance missions, where he piloted a Learjet 45XR aircraft in India to uncontrolled and tier 3 city airfields, rescuing trapped wounded citizens who needed immediate medical evacuations. Having flown over 2000 medical medivac missions, carrying a 3-day-old newborn to a 103-year-old man, transporting organs for critical human transplants, and pushing the boundaries of Bombardier’s engine parameters, he has immense experience as an international medical jet pilot.
With his vast experience and executing such daring missions in the medical air ambulance, today, Capt. Gopichand Thotakura has trained his successors in opening the Indian subcontinent to jet air ambulance operators. His vision has helped grow the medical air sector to allow anyone to call an emergency evacuation within hours.
Apart from his dedication to improving the medical air sector of India, Capt. Gopichand Thotakura co-founded Preserve Life Crop (www.preserve.life), a world center for holistic wellness and applied health, a 1200-acre campus close to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The approach to delivering the best results and helping others is the reason behind Capt. Gopichand Thotakura’s success in achieving great heights in his career.
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