⁠Who Is Dangeti Jahnavi? NASA’s First Indian Graduate Set To Travel To Space In 2029

Dangeti Jahnavi, a young space enthusiast from Palakollu in Andhra Pradesh, is set to create history by becoming the first Indian graduate of NASA’s International Air and Space Program (IASP) to travel to space. In a post on Instagram, she wrote about her selection as an astronaut candidate for Titans Space’s Inaugural Class of 2025, ahead of a 2029 orbital spaceflight.

Jahnavi, who pursued Electronics and Communication Engineering at Lovely Professional University in Punjab, developed a keen interest in space exploration early in her academic journey. She completed the prestigious IASP programme, a highly competitive NASA-backed initiative that grooms future space scientists through rigorous training and international collaboration.

Her work in space science includes asteroid discovery missions under the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), where she used Pan-STARRS data from Hawaii to identify new celestial objects. She was also the first Indian and youngest foreign analog astronaut selected for Iceland’s planetary geology programme.

In an Instagram post, Jahnavi shared her milestone moment, stating, “I’m going to space!! As a kid who believed that the Moon followed me, I didn’t know it was leading me here... I have been officially selected as an Astronaut Candidate (ASCAN) for Titans Space – Inaugural Class of 2025.”

The Titans Space mission, scheduled for 2029, will be a five-hour orbital flight featuring three hours of sustained zero gravity, with the spacecraft completing two Earth orbits, offering views of two sunrises and two sunsets. The mission will be led by retired NASA astronaut Colonel William McArthur Jr., who now serves as Chief Astronaut for Titans Space.

She mentioned further in the post, “It is a tremendous honor to train and fly under the leadership of someone with such extraordinary service and contributions to human spaceflight.”

Starting in 2026, Jahnavi will enter a three-year ASCAN training programme that includes spacecraft systems and flight simulation, survival and emergency training, zero-gravity flights and medical and psychological evaluation. This programme is designed to equip astronauts for the challenges of spaceflight and microgravity research.

While her parents, Padmasri and Srinivas, currently reside in Kuwait, they’ve remained closely involved in encouraging her academic pursuits.

Jahnavi’s story is not only about personal achievement but also about inspiring the next generation. Her LinkedIn profile lists her as “Analog Astronaut, Scientist-Astronaut Candidate, STEM Educator, Speaker and Advanced Adventure Scuba Diver”.

Jahnavi is an outspoken advocate for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, especially for Indians. As per various reports, her efforts include delivering motivational talks at ISRO’s outreach initiatives and engaging with students across the country at National Institutes of Technology (NITs).

She has also participated in deep-sea simulations and planetary geology programmes meant to prepare researchers for conditions akin to those on Mars and the Moon. She became the youngest foreign analog astronaut and the first Indian accepted into Space Iceland’s geology training programme — an intense, terrain-focused study of Mars-like environments on Earth.

Her contributions to astronomy go beyond theory. As part of the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), supported by NASA, Jahnavi used data from the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii to help identify a previously unknown asteroid.

In recognition of her achievements, Jahnavi has garnered several prestigious honours. These include the People’s Choice Award at the NASA Space Apps Challenge and the Young Achiever Award during ISRO’s World Space Week celebrations.