Gopi Thotakura, Indian pilot, travels into space on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin flight

The mission, which marked the seventh human flight for the New Shepard program and the 25th in its history, was carried out by the Blue Origin flight, which carried six crew members, including Indian-origin entrepreneur and pilot Gopichand Thotakura.

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Besides Gopichand, the crew also included former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, the first black astronaut candidate in the United States, Hindustan Times reported.

Earlier on September 12, 2022, the program suffered a setback after a New Shepard rocket caught fire shortly after launch. However, the uncrewed capsule was ejected on time and guaranteed the safety of potential astronauts.

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New Shepard (Mission NS-25) crew:

1) Gopichand Thotakura: He was chosen as one of the six crew members for Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin New Shepard -25 (NS-25) mission.

2) Ed Dwight: Former Air Force pilot was rejected by NASA's astronaut corps in the 1960s. According to a report by AFP news agency, Dwight became the oldest person to venture into space. He is 90 years, 8 months and 10 days old.

3) Mason Angel: He is the founder of Industrious Ventures, a venture capital firm.

4) Sylvain Chiron: She is the founder of Brasserie Mont Blanc – a leading craft brewery in France.

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5) Kenneth L. Hess: A software engineer and entrepreneur

6) Carol Schaller: She is a retired Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who completed crew selection for the NS-25 mission.

With input from authorities.

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Published: May 19, 2024 10:08 PM IST