Blue Origin: Gopichand Thotakura becomes first Indian space tourist - Times of India

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NEW DELHI:

Blue Origin

's tourism rocket carried passengers to the

edge of space

for the first time in nearly two years, following a hiatus caused by an unsuccessful uncrewed test flight. The

New Shepard

rocket and capsule launched during a window opening at 8.30 am CT (9.30 am ET) from Blue Origin's facilities in West Texas. The company's website live-streamed the mission, called

NS-25

, starting at approximately 7.50 am CT (8.50 am ET), according to a report from CNN.

NS-25, marking Blue Origin's seventh crewed flight, transported six customers in the capsule: Mason Angel, a venture capitalist; Sylvain Chiron, founder of the French craft brewery Brasserie Mont-Blanc; Kenneth L Hess, a software engineer and entrepreneur; Carol Schaller, a retired accountant;

Gopi Thotakura

, an aviator; and Ed Dwight, a retired US Air Force captain chosen by President John F Kennedy in 1961 to be the nation's first Black astronaut candidate.

"I had no intention of being an astronaut. That was the last thing on my bucket list," Dwight said in the National Geographic documentary. "But once I was given the challenge, then everything changes," he added.

At 90 years old, Dwight will become the oldest person to reach the edge of space, according to a Blue Origin spokesperson.

During the mission, the crew experienced speeds exceeding 2,000 miles per hour, more than three times the speed of sound. The rocket-propelled the capsule beyond the Karman line, an area 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth's surface, widely considered the boundary of outer space. At the apex of the flight, passengers enjoyed a few minutes of weightlessness and breathtaking views of Earth through the cabin windows.

The launch follows the success of an uncrewed science mission in December, marking the New Shepard program's first flight since the mishap more than a year earlier.

India's first pilot to journey into space as a tourist

Gopichand Thotakura, an accomplished pilot and co-founder of Preserve Life Corp, a holistic wellness center in Atlanta, became the first Indian to travel to space as a tourist. With an extensive aviation background, including commercial jet piloting, bush flying, aerobatics, seaplane, glider, and hot air balloon piloting, Thotakura brings a wealth of experience to the mission. He holds a degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an MBA in aviation/airway management and operations from Coventry University, and currently serves as the chief operating officer at Asian Infrastructure Ltd.

Meet the other crew members

The other crew members include Ed Dwight, who was selected by President Kennedy in 1961 to train at the Aerospace Research Pilot School but was not chosen for Nasa's astronaut team despite completing the program; Mason Angel, who runs Industrious Ventures and supports STEM education through his family's foundation; Sylvain Chiron, founder of Brasserie Mont Blanc and a lifelong pilot and skier; Kenneth L Hess, a software engineer and entrepreneur who created Family Tree Maker; and Carol Schaller, a retired CPA who has embraced adventure despite the possibility of going blind.

New Shepard's failure in 2022

In September 2022, a New Shepard rocket and spacecraft experienced a failure during a launch of science instruments. One minute into the flight, the rocket encountered Max Q, a moment of maximum stress on the vehicle due to the combination of high speeds and relatively thick atmosphere at low altitudes.

The rocket emitted a large burst of flames, prompting the New Shepard capsule to initiate its launch abort system, safely separating from the malfunctioning rocket and parachuting to a safe landing.

Blue Origin later revealed that the failure was caused by a problem with the engine nozzle, which directs the flaming exhaust at the rocket's bottom. The onboard computers detected the failure and shut down the engine, but the rocket, left without a functioning engine, crashed back to the ground and was destroyed.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversaw an investigation into the failure, which revealed that the engine nozzle failed due to higher temperatures than anticipated. Blue Origin implemented design changes to the combustion chamber and adjusted operating parameters to address the issue. The FAA concluded the mishap investigation on September 27, 2023, outlining 21 corrective actions Blue Origin needed to implement before resuming flights.