Third Indian-origin woman, Sirisha Bandla, set to fly to space
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The 34-year-old aeronautical engineer will be flying off into space with five other members in her team. Her role will be that of a researcher experience
Years after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams, a third woman of Indian origin, Sirisha Bandla, is all set to fly into space aboard ‘VSS Unity’ of Virgin Galactic, which is scheduled to fly off on July 11 from New Mexico.
The 34-year-old aeronautical engineer will be flying off into space with five other members in her team. Her role will be that of a researcher experience. The founder of Virgin Galactic Richard Branson will also be a part of the team.
Our first fully crewed rocket powered test flight is planned to take place on July 11th with two pilots and four mission specialists including @RichardBranson onboard.
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) July 2, 2021
If we were flying your crew, who’d be floating in zero gravity next to you? Tag your astronauts! #Unity22 pic.twitter.com/3FTCls7A4W
"I am so incredibly honored to be a part of the amazing crew of #Unity22, and to be a part of a company whose mission is to make space available to all," Sirisha Bandla said on Twitter.
Join us July 11th for our first fully crewed rocket powered test flight, and the beginning of a new space age.
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) July 1, 2021
The countdown begins. #Unity22
https://t.co/5UalYT7Hjb. @RichardBranson pic.twitter.com/ZL9xbCeWQX
Born in Andhra Pradesh, Bandla grew up in Houston, Texas and started working with Virgin Galactic in 2015. Before that, she used to work in space policy at the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) and as an aerospace engineer in Texas.
She has graduated in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University and also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Georgetown University.
Bandla is the second Indian-born woman in space and fourth in general to travel to space.