Gopi Thotakura became the first Indian space tourist on Sunday, flying aboard Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin NS-25 mission to Kármán line – an altitude of around 100 kilometres. In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times , the Andhra-born entrepreneur and pilot talked about his unique journey. Gopi Thotakura, the first Indian space tourist, took on a 11-minute space flight on Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin NS-25 mission.
Here are the edited excerpts: Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India's general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! ALSO READ- In a first, Indian pilot Gopi Thotakura takes space tour on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin flight Like Indira Gandhi asked first Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma, could you see India from space? No, it was a suborbital flight launched from Texas, so India wasn't visible. I did look for it, but I only saw the Atlantic Ocean and parts of Europe.
A full orbit would have provided a view of India. Who actually is Gopi Thotakura? I was born in Vijayawada. I recently moved top to the US due to Covid to pursue business opportunities.
My roots remain firmly Indian, with my family, schooling, and early career all in India. I pursued schooling in several Indian cities and later, studied aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Aviation has always been my passion, leading me to work as a medical and commercial pilot, flying various aircraft, including World War II planes.
After years of .