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Meet New Shepard: Blue Origin's spacecraft set to take Indians to space

Blue origin's new shepard spacecraft is a suborbital space travel vehicle, offering a unique experience for both scientific research and space tourism..

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• It is named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space
• New Shepard is a fully reusable rocket system
• The spacecraft consists of two main components: a reusable booster, and crew capsule

Nearly three years after it began tourism flights to space, Jeff Bezos-led Blue Origin has partnered with the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) to give common Indian citizens an opportunity to go into space.

The selected astronauts will ride aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft on brief flight to space. They will experience weightless as the spacecraft launches over 100 kilometers above Earth's surface crossing the Karaman Line, the international boundary between Earth and space.

What is New Shepard?

Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft is a suborbital space travel vehicle, offering a unique experience for both scientific research and space tourism.

Named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space, New Shepard is a fully reusable rocket system designed for human spaceflight.

The spacecraft consists of two main components: a reusable booster and a pressurized crew capsule. The capsule can accommodate six passengers, providing each with a window seat to witness breathtaking views of Earth.

Updated Jul 22, 2022, 15:31 IST

As space came within reach, space tourism became the next logical step for humans to focus their engineering endeavours on. Years of efforts, beginning in the late 1990s, are beginning to bear results now.

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Gopi Thotakura to be the first Indian space tourist: What is space tourism?

In recent years, space tourism has grown by leaps and bounds. according to media reports, in 2023, the space tourism market was valued at $848.28 million..

Entrepreneur and pilot Gopi Thotakura is set to become the first Indian to venture into space as a tourist on the NS-25 mission of Blue Origin — a company founded by Jeff Bezos, who is also the founder of Amazon.

Thotakura has been selected as one of the six crew members for the mission, whose launch date is yet to be announced. If the mission is successful, Thotakura would be the second Indian to go into space. The first one was Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew to the Salyut 7 space station on a Soviet spacecraft in 1984.

In recent years, space tourism has grown by leaps and bounds. According to media reports, in 2023, the space tourism market was valued at $848.28 million. It is expected to grow to $27,861.99 million by 2032. However, there are several challenges, such as high cost, and environmental concerns, that may limit the industry’s growth.

Here is a look at who Thotakura is, what space tourism is, and what challenges it is facing.

Who is Gopi Thotakura?

A graduate of the US-based Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Thotakura flies jets commercially, according to a press release by Blue Origin.

“Gopi is a pilot and aviator who learned how to fly before he could drive,” it said. He is also a co-founder of Preserve Life Corp — a global centre for holistic wellness and applied health located near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

“Gopi pilots bush, aerobatic, and seaplanes, as well as gliders and hot air balloons, and has served as an international medical jet pilot. A lifelong traveller, his most recent adventure took him to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro,” the press release said.

What is space tourism?

Space tourism is essentially a section of the aviation sector which seeks to provide tourists with the opportunity to become astronauts and experience space travel for recreational, leisure, or business purposes, according to the book ‘Air Transport: A Tourism Perspective’, edited by Anne Graham, Frederic Dobruszkes.

There are two main types of space tourism, sub-orbital and orbital. The sub-orbital spacecraft takes passengers just beyond the Kármán line — it lies nearly 100 kilometres above our heads and is considered to be the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space. The passengers get to spend a few minutes in outer space and then come back to Earth.

The NS-25 mission, which Thotakura is a part of, is a sub-orbital mission. Thotakura and his other crew members will be taken to outer space via New Shepard, a fully reusable sub-orbital launch vehicle developed specifically for space tourism by Blue Origin.

The orbital spacecraft, on the other hand, takes passengers much further than the Kármán line. Usually, passengers can spend from a couple of days to more than a week at an altitude of nearly 1.3 million feet.

In September 2021, Space X’s Falcon 9 took four passengers to an altitude of 160 km where they spent three days orbiting the Earth.

What are the challenges?

Currently, space tourism is expensive. A passenger generally has to pay at least a million dollars to reach outer space. This amount is out of reach for almost everyone.

Moreover, several studies have pointed out that space tourism may lead to environmental damage as rockets emit gaseous and solid chemicals directly into the upper atmosphere.

A 2022 study done by researchers University College London (UCL), the University of Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that the soot emissions from rocket launches are far more effective at warming the atmosphere compared to other sources.

Safety is also a concern when it comes to space tourism. Despite high safety standards, a total of 676 people have flown into space and 19 of them have died, as of November 2023, according to a report by Astronomy Magazine . This means that approximately 3% of astronauts died during their space flight which is quite a high fatality rate.

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Who is Gopi Thotakura, the first Indian ‘space tourist’ to fly with Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin?

The aerospace company blue origin unveiled the crew members' names for the new shepard-25 mission on april 4..

Gopichand Thotakura, an entrepreneur and pilot, has been selected as one of the six crew members for Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin New Shepard -25 (NS-25) mission. This makes him the “first Indian space tourist” and the second Indian to venture into space after the Indian Army's Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984.

The aerospace company unveiled the crew members' names for the New Shepard-25 mission on April 4. Thotakura is poised to join the esteemed group of 31 people who have surpassed the Karman line, the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space, via the New Shepard program.

This mission marks the seventh human flight for the New Shepard program and the 25th in its history.

Blue Origin has stated that the NS-25 flight date will be announced soon.

Who is Gopichand Thotakura?

- According to Blue Origin, Gopichand Thotakura, a pilot and aviator, acquired his flying skills before obtaining a driver's license. He reportedly hails from Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada, and his Facebook profile says he currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, in the US.

- Thotakura holds a degree in Aviation Management and Operations from Coventry University, UAE, and a Bachelor's in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Also Read | Jeff Bezos’s space company Blue Origin names former Amazon executive as CEO

- He co-founded Preserve Life Corp, a global centre for holistic wellness and applied health near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. As Preserve Life Corp states, over the past seven years, he has effectively managed significant projects in aviation, infrastructure, and holistic wellness.

- In addition to his commercial jet piloting, Thotakura is experienced in piloting bush, aerobatic, and seaplanes, as well as gliders and hot air balloons. He has also served as an international medical jet pilot. As highlighted in Blue Origin's press release, his adventurous spirit led him to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in his most recent expedition.

Watch | Blue Origin successfully launches first Egyptian, Portuguese to Space

Who are the others joining on ns-25.

In addition to Thotakura, the crew for this manned flight will consist of five individuals embarking on their inaugural space voyages. They are:

- Ed Dwight, who made history in 1961 as the first Black astronaut candidate selected by President John F. Kennedy for training at the Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS). Despite this milestone, Dwight never made a journey to space.

- Mason Angel, the creator of Industrious Ventures, a venture capital firm.

- Sylvain Chiron, the founder of Brasserie Mont Blanc, a prominent craft brewery based in France.

- Kenneth L. Hess, a software engineer and entrepreneur.

- Carol Schaller, a retired Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Blue Origin's space tourism

Blue Origin's efforts encompass various initiatives, such as transporting astronauts aboard New Shepard to space, creating reusable liquid rocket engines, constructing an orbital launch vehicle named New Glenn, advancing the development of next-generation space habitats, and planning lunar surface missions.

New Shepard

Named in honour of Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard, “New Shepard” is a reusable suborbital rocket system crafted to transport astronauts and research payloads beyond the Kármán line.

"Whether you are an astronaut travelling alongside Blue Origin or dispatching a payload into space, your brief 11-minute journey aboard New Shepard promises to be an unforgettable adventure,” Blue Origin's official website says.

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ISRO Plans To Start ‘Space Tourism’ At A Cost Of ₹6 Crore Per Passenger By 2030

Are you a space enthusiast who dreams of taking a trip to travel outside Earth? Well, in about seven years from now, you could be able to do that!

Space Tourism By 2030

Indian Space Research Organisation  (ISRO)  Chairman S Somnath has said, "Work is in progress around India’s very own space tourism module, which is both safe and reusable." Putting a timeline on the space travel module, the ISRO chairman added that enthusiasts will be able to take a trip to space by 2030. The estimated cost of the trip is slated to be Rs 6 crore.  

“ The per ticket price is likely to be around Rs 6 crore . People who take the trip will also be able to call themselves astronauts,” Somnath said.

Senior officials of the ISRO said that work related to the government's space tourism module is ‘gaining momentum'. They added that the tickets will be available at "competitive prices" in the global market.

"The per- ticket  price is likely to be around Rs 6 crore. People who take the trip will also be able to call themselves astronauts," Somnath said, as per Hindustan Times.

Senior officials of the ISRO told that work related to the government’s space tourism module is ‘gaining momentum'. They added that the tickets will be available at "competitive prices" in the global market.

Also Read:  Meet Kam Ghaffarian: A Space Billionaire Who Is Racing To Land On The Moon Before China

Orbital Or Sub-Orbital Space Travel?

It has not been announced whether the module will include sub-orbital space travel or orbital space travel ; however, the Rs 6 crore price tag suggests that the module is likely to feature sub-orbital space travel.

An article on the space exploration news website Space.com reportedly says that the main difference between sub-orbital and orbital space travel is the speed at which a vehicle is travelling . An orbital spacecraft must achieve what is known as orbital velocity, whereas a suborbital rocket flies at a speed below that.

Sub-orbital trips generally involve spending 15 minutes at the edge of space, experiencing a few minutes in a low-gravity environment, before the spaceflight descends back to Earth.

Companies such as Blue Origin have conducted suborbital flights with their reusable New Shepard rocket. Reusable rockets enhance the economic viability of spaceflight, as they are capable of going to space more than once.

Earlier this year, in February, as per a Moneycontrol report, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Atomic Energy, and Space, Jitendra Singh, said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha that ISRO has already started carrying out feasibility studies for India’s sub-orbital space tourism mission.

“ Through Gaganyaan — India’s maiden human spaceflight programme — Isro is engaged in the development of various technologies , which are essential building blocks for human space missions,” Singh said.

ISRO Likely To Partner With Private Firms

Scientists from ISRO told me that ISRO is likely to  partner with private firms  for the development of the space travel module via the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).

Commenting on the safety aspect of the space trip, the ISRO chairman said that they are using the Reusable Launch Vehicle—Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) to gain more knowledge about the safety of the spaceflights.

"Along with the Gaganyaan mission , we are also gaining knowledge from our Reusable Launch Vehicle—Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD). Since we are bringing space experiences to the common people, we have to ensure that these trips are extremely safe and our technologies pass safety clearances," Somnath said.

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