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Sirisha Bandla
"I chose to go to Purdue (and do the other things), not because it is easy, but because it is hard. All joking aside - I did indeed choose to go to Purdue because the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong went to Purdue. And so did the last man, Gene Cernan. And so did so many astronauts since. I wanted to go to the University that had deep rooted history in our space program, to learn from the best, and to create a foundation that will carry me to a successful career. Purdue did just that, providing me with not only a strong educational foundation, but a network of peers and mentors that helped pave the way to continued growth after education. I participated in Dr. Steven Collicott's reduced gravity class while I was a senior at Purdue, that gave me the experience to be successful conducting research in space. The Purdue network also helped me make initial contact to those at Virgin Galactic - and the rest, they say - is history!"
Sirisha Bandla | Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
VP of Government Affairs & Research Operations, Virgin Galactic
Sirisha Bandla always wanted to be an astronaut, but her dream was almost dashed when she learned that her bad eyesight
disqualified her from achieving her goal at NASA. Around that same time, she watched on TV as Sir Richard Branson
announced that he would establish Virgin Galactic (VG) to open space travel for all. She vowed then and there that she
would work for his company and go to space one day. Fast forward 17 years, and she is not only working at VG, but also
was selected to launch on the company's first fully crewed test flight. On July 11, 2021, she flew 53 miles above earth
on the Unity 22 mission, anointing her into Purdue's Cradle of Astronauts, an elite group of 26. She helped test the
interior of the cabin for future customers, and in 2023 alone, VG carried 20+ people to space.
She started her career at the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF), working on early policy for the emerging
commercial space industry. Moving to VG in 2015, she began as the government affairs manager, then was promoted to her
current position as vice president of government affairs and research operations. She has grown the company's presence
inside the Washington, D.C. beltway through engagement with Congress, the White House, and FAA.
Bandla was elected chairwoman of CSF's board of directors in 2023, serves as a mentor for the Mathew Isakowitz
Fellowship Program, sits on the executive board of the Brooke Owens Fellowship Program, and is vice chair of the Future
Space Leaders Foundation.