Sirisha Bandla
Space for Humanity Board member
From a young age, Sirisha Bandla wanted to explore the stars. An Indian-American aeronautical engineer who most recently served as the Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations for Virgin Galactic, she flew on Virgin Galactic's Unity 22 mission, making her only the second India-born woman to travel to space. Previously, Bandla served as the Associate Director for the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Future Space Leaders Foundation and the Brooke Owens Fellowship Foundation, and is a member of Purdue University's Engineering Advisory Council. In 2022, Bandla was honored as one of the BBC 100 Women, an annual series examining the impact of incredible women in the 21st century. She holds a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University and a master's degree in business administration from George Washington University.