Hyderabad: Santhosh George Kulangara, who hails from Kerala's Kottayam district, is well known for his travelogues, Sancharam. He is all set to become India's first space tourist as he booked his ticket back in 2007 for the space tourism program in Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. Speaking to ETV Bharat, he said that he looks forward to the space trip ahead as only an experience that would focus on the exploration. He also added that the excitement about space travel is for the present and for the future generations ahead.
'The space travel was not a dream for me,' said Santosh George Kulangara. When a project like this came up, it felt like space should be the next destination as a tourist. Will travel whenever I get the chance to travel. I have not jumped with joy when space travel was confirmed, added Santosh.
Read: Kerala traveller to be the first space tourist
"Permission to travel to space was granted after much efforts. Yes, I am got my dates scheduled for the travel, but it cannot be revealed. It is upto the company to reveal the dates," Kulangara said, when asked about when he will be flying to space.
Santosh George Kulangara, a Kerala based journalist and a traveller is all set to become India's first space tourist. He is the only Indian to book his ticket for the space tourism program in Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. He was the first Indian included among a group of 'space tourists' who propose to make a suborbital trip in a spaceship as part of a space tourism initiative of Virgin Galactic and was selected for the same in 2007.
A native of Kerala's Kottayam district, Kulangara is well known for his travelogues, Sancharam. He has already travelled to more than 130 countries within a span of 24 years. At the age of 26, he headed Labour India Publications, a publishing house that provides 30 different journals and magazines for students.
Read: Virgin Galactic's flight opens a new door to space for all
The travel cost is estimated to be around $2.5 lakh (1.8 crore). Santhosh will capture his explorations in his videos. He says this journey is for all Malayalis(Keralites) around the world. Virgin Galactic is a private spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson which aims at taking the best tourists around the world to space.
