More recently, Jahnavi has been selected as an astronaut candidate for a private orbital mission scheduled for 2029. If successful, she will spend several hours in low-Earth orbit, witnessing multiple sunrises and sunsets in a single day, something most can only dream of.
Tracing back, Jahnavi’s fascination with space began early. As a child, her grandmother would tell her stories about a kind moon lady who gave children toys and sweets. What began as innocent wonder turned into a lifelong passion. “I used to think the moon followed me wherever I went,” Jahnavi recalls. “Now, I’m working to follow it instead.”
She pursued a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab. It was there that her ambitions took flight. In 2021, she became the first Indian to attend NASA’s International Air and Space Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Alabama. Over a week, she underwent intensive astronaut training: zero-gravity simulations, multi-axis simulations, underwater rocket launches, and even flying a Cessna aircraft. She was appointed Mission Director of her team and successfully led a 16-member international crew through a mock rocket mission.
But that was only the beginning. Jahnavi soon participated in analog astronaut missions in Poland, living in isolation and simulating conditions akin to a lunar base. She later traveled to Iceland for geology training, preparing for the kind of terrain astronauts might face on the Moon or Mars.
Despite her impressive resume, Jahnavi’s path hasn’t been easy. She comes from a modest middle-class family, with both her parents working in Kuwait. Funding her training, travel, and education has required immense effort, including government support, scholarships, and outreach. “My journey is not just about space, it’s about proving that no dream is too big if you come from a small place,” she says.
Jahnavi’s work has not gone unnoticed. She has been featured in the Indian Book of Records, won the NASA Space Apps Challenge People’s Choice Award, and delivered motivational talks at ISRO events and engineering colleges across India. She also participated in asteroid hunting campaigns using Pan-STARRS data and contributed to the identification of celestial objects.
Her ultimate goal? To become a full-fledged astronaut, earn her pilot’s license, and one day step onto the Moon or Mars. Until then, she remains grounded but determined, an inspiration to millions of young Indians who dare to look up and dream.
“Many think space is out of reach,” she says. “But if a girl from Palakollu can reach for the stars, so can they.”