Indian-origin astronaut Shawna Pandya has denied the news reports that claimed that she was shortlisted by NASA for its 2018 space mission under Citizen Science Astronaut (CSA) programme.
Shawna clarified in a Facebook post that her work is separate from the work of the Canadian Space Agency and that of NASA. Shawna Pandya has stated that the astronaut selection at the Canadian Space Agency was going on and was yet to be part of the selection.
In her Facebook post, Shawna has written, “There has been no new announcement, flight assignment or selection of missions with respect to my work as a citizen-scientist astronaut with Project Possum or The PHEnOM Project. I am no more or less likely to fly than any other member of than these projects than I was 24 hours ago.”
However, she remains a crew member in the work of both projects.
“While I have previously interned at NASA-Johnson Space Center, I have no current affiliation with either organisation and would like to clarify that any reports or articles claiming as such are mistaken,” she wrote.
While denying the media reports, the astronaut has further mentioned that she’s neither a neurosurgeon nor an opera singer. Her medical license is in general practice.