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Meet 23-year-old Jahnavi Dangeti, selected for 2029 space mission
24 Jun 2025

Jahnavi Dangeti, a 23-year-old from Palakollu in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, has been selected as an Astronaut Candidate (ASCAN) for a US-based space mission.

The historic flight will take place in 2029 and make Dangeti the first Indian to join a space mission under Titans Space.

She completed her Electronics and Communication Engineering degree at Lovely Professional University, Punjab.

Jahnavi to experience 3 hours of zero gravity
Upcoming journey

The space mission will see Jahnavi orbit the Earth twice, experiencing three hours of zero gravity.

"We'll witness two sunrises and two sunsets in one mission," she said.

The five-hour orbital flight will take place aboard the Orbital Port Space Station, which is scheduled to open in the next four years.

Jahnavi's astronaut training will begin in 2026 under retired NASA astronaut Colonel William McArthur Jr., who will lead the 2029 mission as Chief Astronaut of Titans Space.

First Indian to complete NASA's International Air and Space Program
Trailblazer

Jahnavi is the first Indian to complete NASA's International Air and Space Program (IASP).

She has been a strong advocate for STEM education, promoting asteroid discovery missions and sustainability in space exploration.

Her work goes beyond personal achievement, inspiring a generation of young Indians to dream big.

"As a kid who believed the Moon followed me, I didn't know it was leading me here," she said on Instagram.

Educational background
Education

Jahnavi completed her intermediate studies in her hometown before pursuing a Bachelor's in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab.

Her technical education has prepared her for the specialized field of space science.

She has also actively participated in national and international outreach programs, including talks at ISRO events across India.

Discovery of an asteroid
Achievements

Jahnavi was part of the International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC), a program sponsored by NASA and other international agencies.

She discovered an asteroid using real-time astronomical data from the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii.

Jahnavi also became the youngest foreign analog astronaut and first Indian to be selected for Space Iceland's geology training, which focused on extraterrestrial geology and terrain analysis simulating Mars-like environments on Earth.