Indian astronaut

A swan plush toy named Joy is heading to space with IAF pilot Shubhanshu Shukla. But it’s much more than just cute company.

From piloting NASA’s Ax-4 mission to conducting groundbreaking research, IAF’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is marking a historic milestone.

Hailing from Kerala, Canada-based space entrepreneur Aathira Preetharani has been selected for Project Possum, an astronaut training programme by the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences.

Sirisha Bandla is the second Indian-origin woman to head to space as part of Richard Branson's Virgin Glactic crew on VSS Unity. Her paternal grandfather, Ragaiah Bandla (85), tells us about Sirisha's childhood and visits to India.

"I cannot believe that a man, who has been to space and has been honoured by both the Russian and Indian governments, sat with me for 45 minutes. I am truly blessed."