India's first civilian space tourist returns after Blue Origin mission

Gopichand Thotakura, India’s first civilian space tourist, arrived in Delhi on August 26 after completing a space journey with Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin.

“The feeling has been awaited for a long time. I am very happy to be back home,” Thotakura said. He expressed his pride in representing India and excitement for the future of space tourism, stating, “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 organization.”

Thotakura, an Indian-born aviator and commercial pilot, made history as the second Indian citizen to travel to space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's flight in 1984. Reflecting on his experience, Thotakura shared, “I can’t express my feelings right now because it is something that is not in the urban dictionary. It is something I take with me. To see the sky from space and look down at Earth is an incredible experience.”

He also emphasized Blue Origin’s mission to make space tourism more accessible. “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,” Thotakura noted.

He highlighted the collaboration between Blue Origin and NASA to develop a private international space station, stating, “I believe that space tourism is where the future is.”

Thotakura’s journey also included notable crew members like Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller, and former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, who was selected by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as the nation’s first black astronaut candidate.