- 1 year ago
Jahnavi Dangeti, inspired since childhood by her grandmother’s tales of lunar legends and astronauts like Rakesh Sharma, Sunita Williams, and Kalpana Chawla, dreams of becoming India’s first female astronaut. She has now been selected to join the Titan’s Orbital Port Space Station, a U.S.-based project set to launch within the next four years.
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00:00good morning everyone I know the president vice presidential election is
00:07on there's a lot happening across the country but this session let's soar
00:11behind beyond and into the skies as it has happened recently we have seen that
00:23india's space exploration has taken me just right
00:37I have been to cover the 1984 Rakesh Sharma becoming the first
00:53astronaut Indian astronaut to orbit the earth I do remember talking to him after that and that
01:04experience was exhilarating and of course more recently in July we saw Group Captain
01:09Shubhanshu Shukla carrying that torch forward as the first Indian astronaut in over four decades
01:15to live and work aboard the International Space Station we saw that 18-day mission on SpaceX
01:21Axiom flight where he conducted experiments for India's future Gagan yarn program and that I think
01:29left all of us enthralled and extremely proud
01:32now we are very happy to say that new generation is stepping into this to take out that legacy even further and one of the brightest among them is with us today
01:42Janvi Dangeti is that the way I pronounce it yes yes okay she's just 23 years old from the Godavi district of
01:52and
02:07she's a passionate space enthusiast and may I mention this you've been chosen as an astronaut candidate for the 2029 mission of Titan space space艇
02:15She asked, and may I mention this, you have been chosen as an astronaut candidate for the
02:202029 mission of Titan Space Industries, which is a U.S.-based private space research company.
02:27I can't say more about that, which I'll allow Janvi to do, but I think she's got, her story
02:32is truly a remarkable one, which I'd like her to get into, and it's something that I
02:38think a lot of young Indians would be inspired to listen to you.
02:40So, ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome Janvi Dangeti.
02:46Thank you for having me here today.
02:48And I must, you know, she sent me this message in the morning saying, please describe me as
02:53this, right?
02:54And I'm going to say this because it's so technical that I have to ask her what it's all about.
02:59But we'll start with that.
03:05She calls herself an analog astronaut.
03:07Anybody here knows what an analog astronaut is, but maybe there is someone.
03:13And then there is an advanced Post-Sign Academy graduate, pilot in training, and an advanced
03:19scuba diver.
03:20I'd just be happy with one of them if I was doing that, but you're doing so much.
03:23Let's start with this word, analog astronaut.
03:27What does it mean?
03:28So, I want to say, astronauts, I saw the work of this over a mission or something that happened
03:35on Earth, mid-space, and the expansion, and this is a threat to my human children, I can
03:40be able to say exactly how it is.
03:41And every young person gets more than a trigger in your life that said, okay, I want to be
03:46an astronaut, not a doctor, not an engineer, or whatever.
03:49Okay.
03:51No stories are silly.
03:53My parents left me when I was one year old with my grandparents.
03:58And I'm a single kid, so grown up,
04:00always listening to the bedtime stories about moon.
04:04And that's the reason of my interest in space.
04:08And I always felt like, okay, there is someone up in the moon
04:11and it's following me wherever I go.
04:14So that's how I believed.
04:15And my grandmother always used to mention about a lady that lives on moon.
04:21And as a kid, I literally believed that
04:24and always thought, okay, I should go there someday.
04:28And growing up, listening to the stories like Space Heroes of India,
04:33who is Rakesh Ermasar, Kalpana Chawla ma'am,
04:35and Sunita Williams ma'am.
04:37Everyone's story has a huge inspiration that everyone should learn.
04:41And that's how I kept motivated and kept working for my dream
04:47of stepping onto Mars someday.
04:51Not just moon, Mars.
04:53That's a good way to begin.
04:54But let's take a look.
04:56Okay, you have a passion.
04:57A lot of us do.
04:57We all have dreams.
04:59How did you start working towards saying, okay, I should be an astronaut?
05:03What were the things you did?
05:04Because in India, there was no opportunity, as we know, right?
05:06Only now we have the Gaganyan program, and that will take another three years.
05:10And that's a long process that goes on in terms of selection.
05:13So Rakesh Sharma did it very long back.
05:16I think in 83, I might be wrong, not 84.
05:1883, right?
05:20And so therefore, what did you do in the next, you know, during high school?
05:26Were you all involved in that, or you had to do only after school?
05:30So when I began my journey, I have no idea,
05:33because there were no direct opportunities.
05:37But there was few basic things that usually conducted by ISRO,
05:41Indian Space Research Organization,
05:43where they conduct science fair competitions, research competitions.
05:50Every year that happens during World Space Week,
05:52where ISRO celebrates for a week.
05:55And that's where I began my journey.
05:57I always stayed curious and did my own ton of research.
06:00You never watched a liftoff at ISRO?
06:04No.
06:05Never watched it at all?
06:06No, I did watch one in USA.
06:09Okay, you did?
06:10Yeah, I did watch it in Kennedy, but not in India.
06:13Okay, fine.
06:15So yeah.
06:16That's a privilege in Kennedy.
06:17Which one did you watch?
06:18It was a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch.
06:21And what was your sense?
06:23Were you thinking, I'll be up in that sometime?
06:25Yeah.
06:26When was this?
06:27It was like a year ago.
06:29It was like a year ago.
06:30I was there for my pilot training and I had a news of, okay, there's a launch.
06:35All my friends were like, shall we go?
06:37I said, yeah, we can go ahead.
06:38And your experience?
06:40That was during night and for a second it turned out like a day.
06:44The light and the fire, it gave me a different sense that usually we don't find everywhere.
06:49And the roar of the engines?
06:50Yes.
06:50Yes.
06:51The vibration.
06:51The little shakes like that.
06:52That's the vibration, yeah.
06:53Yeah.
06:54So go ahead, yeah.
06:55So Israel got into you, got you interested?
06:57Yeah, the basic things are like participating in STEM activities, staying engaged, and being
07:02connected to the people who are interested in similar things.
07:07In the beginning, I was connected to a few people from India, but more abroad.
07:11Like there were more educational programs that is happening all over the world and I've kept
07:16applying for it.
07:16And one of those projects that helped me to connect with more people was NASA Citizen Scientist
07:22Program, where I worked with multiple teams all over the place.
07:26So you went to the U.S. for that?
07:27No, it's online.
07:29Online, okay.
07:29Anyone can register for it and apply.
07:32You can work for asteroid search campaigns where I discovered a provisional asteroid.
07:37Oh.
07:37So it's like one step at a time.
07:40You mean you look through a telescope?
07:41No.
07:41You'll get data from a NASA observatory telescopes and from there you have to, like they'll help
07:48you with software and you have to classify the data and then you have to analyze if this
07:53particular thing that is moving in the sky qualifies it and then we have to submit back
07:59the data.
08:00And does it get, your name get embossed to it, the Janvi asteroid?
08:03No, I didn't name it as Janvi, I named it as something, yes.
08:06Like what?
08:07There is some criteria even for the name, let's say three numericals and three asteroids.
08:13Some boring stuff, not the actual name.
08:15Not the actual name, yeah.
08:16Yeah, but then go ahead.
08:17So you did the asteroid and then you did this whole range of programs that took you to Iceland
08:21and took you to, talk about that, that seems very interesting.
08:26After these small programs that happened and I began talking to different people all over
08:32the world and they introduced me to these educational programs that are happening and I applied
08:36for it.
08:37Luckily, I've been selected for one of the educational programs that is being conducted
08:42by a Mexican company called AXA at NASA facilities.
08:46Okay.
08:46So I was the first Indian to get selected for that particular program.
08:50Wow.
08:50So there.
08:52Yeah.
08:52And what did you do there?
08:53It's a seven-day program?
08:54Yeah, it was an educational program.
08:56I'm actually getting the gist of how an astronaut life look like and we'll be talking to the
09:03NASA scientists, astronauts, they'll be coming there and imagine a girl from a normal place
09:09going all the way to NASA and learning things directly on hands, hands-on experience and
09:16that gave me different exposure.
09:17And me along with my teammates, we worked on a project that was actually launched into space.
09:23Okay.
09:23And let's move to the, you did about four of these kind of things?
09:27What were the others you did?
09:28Educational programs are like two, but then I did analog missions.
09:32So one I was, like one I did in Poland.
09:36That was an isolated mission for like 11 days.
09:39I was isolated in my habitat along with five other crewmates from different parts of the
09:44world.
09:45So we never get exposed to sunlight or never get exposed to the outside world.
09:51We'll be just walking like a robot that are already designed.
09:55It's all dark, is it?
09:56Or there's a light?
09:57No, we have light, but we don't go outside.
09:59We don't breathe fresh air.
10:01Everything is under life-supported systems.
10:03Just like you can't bath or pee or poop directly into the commode.
10:07Like you have to be counting every single thing that you're taking in and every single thing
10:11that you're putting out.
10:12So it's like just living in a confinement of space.
10:17And then comes with Iceland.
10:18So I was the first Indian to get selected for this Iceland mission, where Neil Armstrong
10:23and other Apollo astronauts once got trained for their Apollo mission.
10:28But when you ask me why Iceland, it's the place where you can find the Martian terrains
10:33and lunar kind of surfaces.
10:37So what did you do in that?
10:40It's a field mission.
10:40We explored the highlands and volcanic terrains of...
10:44You walk.
10:44Yeah, walking and learning from the geology sciences.
10:47In a spacesuit or...?
10:48Yes.
10:49Okay.
10:49Both.
10:50In the spacesuit and then in a flight suit and then regularly like a normal person.
10:54Right.
10:55Yeah.
10:55And what did that experience teach you?
10:57So it's like...
10:58Living in the wilderness?
11:00Living...
11:00Yeah.
11:00See, Iceland is a place I didn't like...
11:03It's the only place I felt very different than any other country because the structures
11:09or the surface that actually mimicking the Martian terrains.
11:14And that helped me to understand...
11:16See, we are walking on the gravity.
11:18Imagine we don't have the similar gravity on a different planet.
11:21Let's say moon.
11:21It's just one by sixth.
11:23And you have to walk in such terrains will make it even more difficult.
11:27And that...
11:27This is just a gist of practicing such kind of environments.
11:32Okay.
11:33Yeah.
11:33And now what happens?
11:34You've been selected and...
11:36So...
11:36So what is this?
11:37This is not a full...
11:38You go into orbit or you are at that borderline place where you...
11:43Okay.
11:44Yeah.
11:44So recently I've been selected for a suborbital mission by Titan Space Industries
11:52and their approximate date of launching is 2029 March.
11:57Okay.
11:57And this is a private space company and the trainings that I've did are not by that particular company.
12:04I did by myself.
12:06Like I did my own spin-off private trainings just to put me forward.
12:11When India calls up for astronauts, okay, I can show, raise my hand.
12:14Yes, I'm here already doing my trainings.
12:17Let's give a very warm round and bless you for your aspirations.
12:22Yeah.
12:22So I didn't wait for someone taking me as an astronaut candidate.
12:27I started my own journey and I'm doing it.
12:30And I've also graduated from Advanced Posam Academy.
12:33Yeah.
12:33Yeah, I wanted to ask you, that sounds a little technical.
12:37What does it mean?
12:38So it's a place where you will be learning the gist of astronautics.
12:43So you will be doing EVA simulations, IVA simulations, extra G flights.
12:49It's all technical.
12:50Don't...
12:50Never mind.
12:50Okay.
12:50But yes.
12:51Extra Gs.
12:52So you actually get the pressure coming on to you?
12:54Yes.
12:54I've been up to 6.5.
12:55How they assimilate, you go through that, you spin around or...
12:58No.
12:58No, it's an aerobatic flight.
12:59Okay.
13:00It's a 300 and it's for a very shorter time, like seconds, like two, three seconds, you'll
13:05be experiencing positive 6 Gs and it depends how you're going to...
13:09Like pushing against your chest.
13:09Yes.
13:10Right.
13:11I was being up to 6.3 or something.
13:13Wow.
13:14Yeah.
13:14That's my very first flight.
13:16Uh-huh.
13:16And yeah.
13:16Nothing happened.
13:17Nothing happened.
13:18I was still alive.
13:18Normally people puke at that time.
13:19Yeah.
13:20Yeah.
13:20Usually they do.
13:21Most of them did it, but I was okay.
13:23Okay.
13:24And then this...
13:25You also said you did the spin.
13:27What's the spin?
13:28Spin during the aerobatic flight.
13:30We do spins and...
13:31Okay.
13:31And that's what you did privately.
13:32You didn't...
13:33Yeah.
13:33It's from IAS, International Institute of Astronautical Sciences that I was mentioning.
13:38Okay.
13:38The POSM Academy.
13:40Okay.
13:40And they put you through that.
13:42And you also advanced cuba diving?
13:44Yes.
13:45How does that help up in space?
13:46So, as I said, to mimic the gravity on Earth, just like space, water is the only place where
13:53you can do it.
13:53It gives you this closer sensation for microgravity.
13:56So, that's the reason I started scuba diving, because I heard to go to space, you have to
14:01get trained underwater.
14:02By that time, I don't even know how to swim.
14:04Really?
14:04Yes.
14:05I started when I was 17.
14:07By the time of 18, I'm already an advanced adventure scuba diver.
14:10And I was one of the youngest people to get advanced license at that age.
14:17Wow.
14:18Yeah.
14:18Okay.
14:19Now, along with my instructor, Subhash Chandran, I'm learning the coral replantation.
14:28So, I started doing ocean conservation from my end.
14:32So, yeah.
14:33Oh, good.
14:33You should go to the Andamans if you get the time.
14:35I was graduated from Andamans.
14:37Oh, you went to the Andamans.
14:38Yes, I was licensed from there.
14:39They're going to do a lot of coral transplantation because of the new project that is coming
14:43out there.
14:43Exactly.
14:44Exactly.
14:44Okay.
14:45Okay.
14:45And finally, I know we're running out of time, but what advice would you give to young
14:52dreamers?
14:53Okay.
14:53You know, those who would like to follow your footsteps or follow their own dreams.
14:57What did this whole experience teach you so far?
15:01One thing, let's say, when I come from a smaller town, people usually say, oh, you
15:07are from a small town.
15:08How did you get these opportunities and things like that?
15:12But what I would say is, it doesn't matter where you come from.
15:16What all matters is what you're aiming for because opportunities are everywhere.
15:21The world is on the fingertips.
15:23All you have to do is go explore.
15:25Stay curious and stay connected to the people that have like mind.
15:28Stay curious, stay conducted, achieve a lot.
15:32Janvee Dangeti.
15:33Let's give a really, really warm round of applause and wish you all the very best.
15:37Maybe 2029, we'll be reporting you up there in Saabau.
15:41Hopefully.
15:41Hopefully.