He will be India’s first civilian astronaut to go to space and will wear a badge bearing the Indian flag.

 Captain Gopichand Thotakura , the second Indian who will travel to space after then Sqn Ldr Rakesh Sharma in April 1984, is set to make history on Sunday with Blue Origin’s NS-25 mission.

He will be India’s first civilian astronaut to go to space, and will be wearing a badge bearing the Indian flag as he takes flight on Sunday.

Along with six other crew members, the seventh human flight of the New Shepard, Thotakura will go beyond the Karman Line — the boundary that separates Earth’s atmosphere and outer space and return to Earth. This mission not only signifies an Indian’s re-entry into the space race, but also makes history with its crew of distinguished astronauts.

Thotakura’s flight will be the first Indian astronaut’s foray into space exploration in four decades, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s iconic journey aboard Soyuz T-11 in April 1984.

‘Honoured to represent India

The mission will be telecast live from 7 pm on Blue Origin’s website. One of the expedition’s highlights will be the astronauts sending postcards to space on behalf of the Club for the Future, a programme designed to encourage and support the next generation of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) professionals.

The astronaut from Vijayawada in AP, who is proud to represent India on this space journey, said, “As the first civilian Indian astronaut embarking on this historic journey with Blue Origin’s NS-25 mission, I am honoured to represent India on this voyage. India is making a mark in space exploration worldwide.

This voyage symbolises the spirit of human endeavour and ingenuity on a global scale. I hope this exploration inspires future generations of STEAM professionals as we push the boundaries of space exploration together.” Founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos in 2000, this will be Blue Origin’s 25th flight.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)