Kalpana Chawla gets successor in Sirisha Bandla; from Guntur to space, incredible journey of India-born astronaut

The first one ever to let Indian women know that they could literally reach for the stars and aim for the space was Kalpana Chawla. Today, as the second India-born woman astronaut to fly into space, Andhra Pradesh's Sirisha Bandla is reinforcing that very faith and hope. She achieved the feat on Sunday as she joined British billionaire Richard Branson and four others on board Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip Unity 22.

Bandla describes the journey to the edge of the space from New Mexico, US as, "incredible," and something she always dreamt of as a child. Bandla was astronaut No 004 and her role in the flight crew was that of 'Researcher Experience.' The other crew members comprised two pilots, three crewmates, including Branson.

The crew reportedly experienced a few minutes of weightlessness before their return to Earth. The spaceship reached an altitude of about 88 kilometers over the New Mexico desert.

An incredible journey

The 34-year-old Indian-American aeronautical engineer has said in interviews that followed her return, "I'm still up there." In an interview to NBC News about her space voyage, she admitted to being at a loss of words in aptly describing her experience and feelings, but 'incredible' was the first word that came to her mind after the journey.

"Seeing the view of Earth is so life-changing but also the boost of the rocket motor kicking in. The whole trip to space and back is just amazing," she said. Among those congratulating her have been the US Embassy, India and not to forget, millions of Indians themselves.

Born in Guntur, brought up in Houston

Hailing from a small district of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, Bandla moved to the US when she was 4-years-old. Her early childhood interest in space studies led to her enrolling for a Bachelor of Science degree in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University. With also a Masters of Business Administration under her belt from George Washington University, Bandla joined Virgin Galactic in 2015 as a business development manager. Soon enough she moved up the ranks in the organization and is currently the Vice-President of Government Affairs, Virgin Galactic.

When poor eyesight played the spoilsport

After her bachelor's degree, Bandla couldn't take the coveted and conventional NASA route in her career because of her poor eyesight. Poor vision marred her chances of meeting the requirements of becoming a pilot or astronaut for NASA. While Bandla is the second India-born woman to be in space, she is the third Indian-origin woman to fly into space, after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams.

Branson's Virgin Galactic is focused on commercializing space flight. The Virgin Galactic carrier can launch up to eight people and each seat will reportedly cost $250,000. In return, the passengers will get to experience 3 to 4 minutes of weightlessness and see the earth's curvature from space.