“Going into space is something I wanted to do since I was a young child, but I knew I could never be an astronaut with NASA because my eyesight is too poor to meet their physical requirements," says Sirisha Bandla as she explains how Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic opens up space for everyone. Bandla also describes how “people from diverse backgrounds can take this transformative journey, then go back to their communities and make an impact on the next generation. These individuals might be the first astronauts that their community meets. That’s very powerful and effective. It’s a reminder that when you travel on Virgin Galactic you’re not leaving Earth – you’re going up to space to reflect on a much larger purpose to your life.”
This podcast is sponsored by Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline company, which aims to expand space travel beyond astronauts. In July 2021, Sirisha Bandla, its vice president, government affairs and research operations, and Richard Branson, founder, were among the initial passengers on its first fully crewed spaceflight, travelling 50 miles above the Earth’s atmosphere. Virgin Galactic plans to carry its first commercial passengers in 2023. For more information, visit virgingalactic.com
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