Page 33 - The Indian EYE 070524

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline JULY 05, 2024 | The Indian Eye 33

DR SHAWNA PANDYA

Physician to fly on Virgin

Galactic Space Flight

She rose to prominence for her leading role as high school student Devi
Vishwakumar in the Netflix teen comedy series Never Have I Ever. She ap-
peared in voice roles in the Pixar film Turning Red and the series My Little
Pony: Make Your Mark.
Directed by Nisha Ganatra, known for her work on ‘Late Night’, the se-
quel revisits the characters of Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) years after their
irgin Galactic Holdings announced a new contract with the Internation- unforgettable body-swap adventure.
al Institute for Astronautical Sciences (“IIAS”) to fly three research This time around, Anna is navigating life with a daughter of her own and
Vastronauts as part of a future crew aboard the Company’s Delta Class soon-to-be stepdaughter, blending two families into one.
spaceship. The sequel promises to bring back the heart and humour that made the
Dr. Shawna Pandya, a physician, aquanaut, bioastronautics researcher, original a box-office success, reportedly grossing USD 160 million globally
and Director of IIAS’s Space Medicine Group, from Canada, has been select- with a significant portion of the domestic market.
ed to be one of the astronauts. As production for the sequel commences, anticipation builds among fans
Dr. Pandya was on the first crew to test a commercial spacesuit in zero eager to see how ‘Freaky Friday’ will blend its signature comedy with new
gravity in 2015. To date, she has flown 10 parabolic flight campaigns, culmi- family dynamics and modern-day challenges.
nating in over 160 parabolas of experience in micro- and reduced gravity. She
earned her aquanaut designation on the 2019 NEPTUNE (Nautical Experi- SHAILENDRA SINGH
ments in Physiology, Technology and Underwater Exploration) mission, and
completed a second aquanaut mission, NEP2NE. She served as Payload Crew Peak XV’s MD set to join USISPF
and co-PI of the 2023 IIAS-01 suborbital research flight and a PI and/or co-I
for Ax-2, Polaris Dawn, and Blue Origin payloads. Board of Directors
Her work is permanently exhibited at the Ontario Science Center along-
side Dr. Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman in space. In 2022, Dr. Pan-
dya was named to the Explorers’ Club’s “50 Explorers Changing the World.” he US-India Strategic Part-
nership Forum (USISPF) is
In 2024, she was recognized for her contributions by the Women’s Space
Awards in the Medicine and Health category and named a Karman Pioneer. Tthrilled to welcome Shailendra
Singh, Managing Director, Peak XV
The mission is designed to enable IIAS to introduce new research while
also expanding upon the results from ‘Galactic 05,’ during which astronaut to the Board of Directors.
As a prominent figure in the
Kellie Gerardi was able to successfully validate a fluid behavior theory within investment landscape, Shailendra
the high-quality microgravity conditions available through Virgin Galactic’s Singh brings a wealth of experience
unique flight system. The IIAS crew plans to fly additional fluid cells, with and strategic insight to the USI-
payload enhancements including upgrades to camera quality and accelerom-
eter measurements. SPF Board of Directors. In his role
as Managing Director at Peak XV,
MAITREYI RAMAKRISHNAN Shailendra has played a pivotal role
in facilitating cross-border partner-
Actor all set to join ‘Freaky ships and investments, driving inno-
vation, and fostering entrepreneur-
Friday’ sequel casts ship within the technology, consumer,
and financial sectors. Shailendra leads the firm’s operations globally with over
$9 billion of assets under management.
ans of the beloved body-swap comedy ‘Freaky Friday’ have reason to Speaking on the new appointment, USISPF President and CEO, Dr.
celebrate as a sequel is officially on its way, set for a nationwide release Mukesh Aghi said, “I am thrilled to welcome Shailendra to the USISPF
Fin 2025. The film, which began filming recently in Los Angeles, is a fol- Board of Directors. This year alone, we have welcomed several industry lumi-
low-up to the 2003 comedy that starred Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan naries to our board. USISPF’s growth is concurrent with the growing strategic
in the lead roles. partnership between our two countries.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, known for her lead role in Netflix’s hit series His deep industry knowledge and commitment to founders across India
“Never Have I Ever,” has officially joined the cast of Freaky Friday sequel. and Southeast Asia will be invaluable. We look forward to benefiting from his
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is a famous Canadian actress of Tamil origin. Continued on next page... >>

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