News/City Updates

Andhra girl Sirisha Bandla among the six to fly into space with Richard Branson

In yet another proud moment for the people of Andhra Pradesh, Sirisha Bandla, an Indian American girl, is amongst the team of six astronauts who will fly into space along with Virgin Galactic’s founder Sir Richard Branson. She will be appraising the human-tended research experience on the trip. Sirisha Bandla will also be the fourth Indian and second Indian-born woman to fly into space preceded by Rakesh Sharma, Kalpana Chawla, and Sunita Williams.

Sirisha Bandla was born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, and grew up in Houston, Texas. With a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, from Purdue University, and a Master of Business, from Georgetown University, she began her career at L-3 Communications as an aerospace engineer designing sophisticated aircraft components. Sirisha later joined the space policy job at the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. With years of experience, she took charge as Government Affairs Manager at Virgin Galactic in 2015. Since then, Sirisha has been rising through the ranks and was also part of the Virgin Orbit that landed a satellite into space using a 747 plane. 

Andhra girl Sirisha Bandla is currently a member of the board of directors of the Space Leaders Foundation and American Astronautical Society. She also serves as a member of  Purdue University’s Young Professional Advisory Council. Sirisha is also closely associated with the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) and an active member. 

Today has been a happening day with announcements from Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic coming one after the other. Jeff Bezos announced that he would be accompanied by an 82-year-old woman pilot Wally Funk. Then the announcement from Virgin Galactic followed a few hours later. Overall, Amazon, Virgin, and SpaceX have been at the forefront to commercialize space travel. While Bezos and Branson aim for space, Elon Musk has been planning to send people to Mars. The fully crewed space flight, set to launch on 11 July, also promise a global live stream. catch it live on www.virgingalcactic.com.  

 

Leave a Comment

Recent Posts

7 new OTT releases of this week that promise extreme comfort!

As the end of this week approaches, the OTT lineup is brimming with thrilling and…

6 hours ago

Forget staying in, here are 5 experiences to have on the weekends in Visakhapatnam

Weekends can feel boring, especially If you've spent the better part of your life thinking,…

6 hours ago

Mauritius is visa-free for Indians! Here’s your complete travel guide from Visakhapatnam

Popularly known as "The Star and Key of the Indian Ocean", Mauritius is a small…

8 hours ago

Visakhapatnam student found dead under unknown conditions in Canada

A student from Visakhapatnam, pursuing higher studies in Canada, was found dead under unknown circumstances,…

9 hours ago

6 iconic Korean dishes from K-dramas & where to find them in Vizag

K-dramas, K-pop, K-movies - you name it - are all the rage lately, and along…

9 hours ago

Online Casinos and Bonuses: Convenience, Benefits, and Responsible Gaming

Online casinos have brought convenience to the gambling business and are known for presenting attractive…

12 hours ago