Meet Gopi Thotakura, who is set to become first Indian space tourist, to fly with Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin

Entrepreneur and pilot Gopichand Thotakura has been chosen as one of the six crew members for Blue Origin's New Shepard -25 (NS-25) mission, which is being led by Jeff Bezos. He is now the second Indian to travel into space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma of the Indian Army in 1984, and the self-proclaimed "first Indian space tourist."

On April 4, the aerospace company revealed the names of the New Shepard-25 mission crew members. Thotakura is about to become one of the 31 distinguished individuals who have crossed the Karman line—the line separating Earth's atmosphere from space—through the New Shepard programme.

With this mission, the New Shepard programme will have completed its seventh and 25th human flight missions overall. The NS-25 flight date will be revealed soon, according to Blue Origin.

Pilot and aviator Gopichand Thotakura learned to fly before he got his driver's licence, according to Blue Origin. According to his Facebook profile, he currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, but he is reportedly from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Thotakura graduated with a Bachelor of Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a degree in Aviation Management and Operations from Coventry University, United Arab Emirates.