Sirisha Bandla, an Indian American with family roots in Andhra Pradesh, will soon become the second India-born woman to fly into space as Virgin Galactic announced its first fully-crewed spaceflight which would also have its founder Richard Branson among the mission specialists.
Virgin Galactic, a vertically integrated aerospace and space travel company, announced that the flight window for the next rocket-powered test flight of its SpaceShipTwo Unity opens July 11, pending weather and technical checks.
The 'Unity 22' mission will be the 22nd flight test for VSS Unity and the Company’s fourth crewed spaceflight. It will also be the first to carry a full crew of two pilots and four mission specialists in the cabin, including Branson, who will be testing the private astronaut experience.
Bandla, who was born in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh before moving to Texas, is also the Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations at Virgin Galactic.
"I am so incredibly honoured 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," tweeted the 34-year-old.
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. https://t.co/sPrYy1styc
— Sirisha Bandla (@SirishaBandla) July 2, 2021
According to the company, she will be evaluating the human-tended research experience, using an experiment from the University of Florida that requires several handheld fixation tubes that will be activated at various points in the flight profile.
The company will, for the first time, also share a global livestream of the spaceflight with audiences around the world invited to participate virtually in the Unity 22 test flight and see first-hand the
extraordinary experience created for future astronauts.
Former NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla, who was born in Karnal, was the first Indian woman to go to space. She passed away on February 1, 2003 over the southern United States when Space Shuttle Columbia and her crew perished during entry, 16 minutes prior to scheduled landing.
"Indian-origin women continue to break the proverbial glass ceiling and prove their mettle. On July 11th, Sirisha Bandla with Telugu roots is set to fly to space aboard VSS Unity with Richard Branson and the team marking the dawn of the new space age, making all Indians proud!," tweeted former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and President of the Telugu Desam Party, N Chandrababu Naidu.
Indian-origin women continue to break the proverbial glass ceiling and prove their mettle. On July 11th, @SirishaBandla with Telugu roots is set to fly to space aboard VSS Unity with @RichardBranson and the team marking the dawn of the new space age, making all Indians proud! pic.twitter.com/oecuztDRBe
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) July 2, 2021
Bandla would be among the four mission specialists along with Beth Moses (Chief Astronaut Instructor at Virgin Galactic), Colin Bennett (Lead Operations Engineer at the company) and founder Branson, who will undergo the same training, preparation and flight as other future astronauts. The company said that it will use Branson's observations from his flight training and spaceflight experience to enhance the journey for all future astronaut customers.
"I truly believe that space belongs to all of us. After more than 16 years of research, engineering, and testing, Virgin Galactic stands at the vanguard of a new commercial space industry, which is set to open space to humankind and change the world for good," said Branson.
