Dr Shawna Pandya
Dr Shawna Pandya is the first named female commercial Canadian astronaut, and will be flying to space with the Virgin Galactic Delta class of spacecraft with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) as early as 2026.
She is also an emergency and aeromedical transport physician, aquanaut, skydiver, pilot-in-training, VP Immersive Medicine with Luxsonic Technologies, Director of IIAS’ Space Medicine Group, Executive Director of the IIAS Flight Opportunities Program, and Chief of Space Medicine at the Advanced Spacelife Research Institute.
Shawna is a topic expert for space.
What next?
Have a go at Shawna's challenge.
If you could meet Shawna, what would you ask her about this topic? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments (2)
If I could meet Dr. Shawna Pandya I would tell her that I love what she is doing and the efforts she is making alongside other women to promote women in space, I would also ask if your plan to stop gender inequality now doesn't work do you have other ways that might work better? Or do you have people that can donate money or equipment to build a company where women are allowed to work to make the world free from gender inequality? Can you create schools to educate women about space so that when other people see all their knowledge about space they can bring them into the space industry?
I have enjoyed watching your videos and I would like to ask you the following
1. What inspired you to become an astronaut?
2. What is a day like in space? What exactly do you do?
3. How do you find a balance in your professional and personal life? What advice will you give women who are trying to balance their personal life, family and career?
4. What has been your greatest reward in this male dominated field?
Thank you as I await your response.