For Youngest Analog Astronaut Jahnavi Dangeti, Sky Is Not The Limit

Jahnavi Dangeti made history as the youngest person to complete the Analog Astronaut programme at the Analog Astronaut Training Centre (AATC) in Krakow, South Poland in 2022. In a conversation with SheThePeople, Jahnavi Dangeti explained how she achieved this milestone. She emphasised her key message for young people: don't let societal expectations hold you back. Be answerable only to yourself, and find a purpose in your life. Jahnavi believes in smart work over hard work. She advises investing time wisely and staying calm to achieve great heights.

Meet Jahnavi Dangeti, Youngest Analog Astronaut 

"I was 11 when I learned about NASA. In my hometown of Palkollu, Andhra Pradesh, the highest aspiration for most people was engineering. But young Jahnavi dared to dream about the moon.

In 2019, I participated in ISRO World Space Week. I was just 16, and my project was selected among 2,000 others—that’s where my journey with space began! I started researching how to become an astronaut and discovered that astronauts train in scuba diving to get used to zero gravity. So I’d travel 25 kilometres away from my home to a pool, flapping my limbs in the water. That’s when a trainer reached out to me, saying, "I can teach you." I thought he was joking, but he was serious. Between scary jumps in the ocean and finding peace amidst the waves, I became the youngest advanced scuba diver in India.

During that time, I found out that I’d been selected for a 10-day programme at NASA—I was the first Indian to receive the opportunity! I still remember standing in front of NASA with tears rolling down my cheeks. I spent my time there marvelling at the skylabs and Apollo capsules. And that one door with 'NASA' written on it opened many other doors for me.

In 2022, I was called to Poland for a lunar mission, where I was placed in an environment similar to the moon. Once I got there, I couldn’t believe it—I was on the moon, a man-made moon, but a moon nonetheless. The 5-year-old Jahnavi within me was beaming with joy. For the next 12 days, tests on human survival on the moon were conducted on us. Our mission was successful, and I became an analogue astronaut.

After being rejected once, I finally got into the International Institute for Astronautical Science in Florida in 2023. I’m 21, and everyone here says, "You’ve done so much." But when I met an astronaut who flew with Kalpana Chawla, he told me, "Jahnavi, I see the little Kalpana in you." That’s when I knew I had a long way to go. And moreover, the moon is waiting for me!"