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Dr. Shawna Pandya – Canada’s First Named Female Commercial Astronaut & Space Medicine Pioneer

  • 2 days ago
  • 5 min read

Renata Chlumska - Adventure athlete who became the first Swedish and Czech woman to climb Mount Everest and in 2005 did a circumnavigate of the lower 48 States of the United States by her own power.

Meet Dr. Shawna Pandya, Canada’s first named female commercial astronaut and a leading figure in space medicine. From emergency medicine to aquanaut missions and suborbital research flights, Shawna has trained to thrive in some of the most extreme environments on Earth—and soon, in space.


In this episode, she shares her journey from a childhood inspired by Dr. Roberta Bondar, through neuroscience and medical training, to testing spacesuits in zero gravity and completing multiple NEPTUNE aquanaut missions. 


We dive into:

  • The challenges of spaceflight on the body and mind

  • The “RIDGE” framework Radiation, Isolation, Distance, Gravity, Environment

  • Using emergency medicine, diving, and piloting to build operational readiness

  • Maintaining balance, avoiding burnout, and living a life aligned with values

  • Preparing for her upcoming flight with Virgin Galactic


Shawna’s story is a masterclass in perseverance, curiosity, and aiming for the stars—literally.



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Show notes


  • Who is Shawna 

  • Being Canada’s first named female Astronaut 

  • Her early years and growing up in the 90s

  • Wanting to be an Astronaut since she was a child and being inspired by Dr. Roberta Bondar

  • Simplifying things 

  • Wanting to follow in her footsteps 

  • Doing a neuroscience degree

  • The influence of her parents 

  • Girl Guides of Canada 

  • Doing outdoor education during junior high and building her spirit of adventure 

  • Inheriting her work ethic from her parents - thinking the normal work day was from 7am to 10pm

  • Sharing her goal and telling people what she wanted to achieve 

  • Taking a family trip to Australia at 12 years old and being obsessed with the Southern Night Sky 

  • Not knowing if it will work out or not - Having to love the grind and the journey 

  • Keeping focused on the goal 

  • Not letting other people opinions stop her 

  • Her parents wanting her to have a realistic career ambition 

  • The roadmap included medicine 

  • After doing her undergrad in neuroscience and applying for medical school

  • Having a back up plan - just in case 

  • International Space University - Masters Program 

  • Asking medical school for a deferral 

  • Doing an internship at the European Space Agency European Space Centre and making a meaningful contribution to space medicine 

  • Dealing with criticism

  • Having balance in her life and not suffering from burnout 

  • Pursuing the trajectory as a research astronaut - and still maintaining her clinical hours in emergency medicine 

  • Work life balance 

  • Why she does’t burn out

  • Living her life according to her values 

  • Having complete control over her schedule  

  • Being surrounded by good people

  • Finding fulfilment and loving what she does

  • Being inspired to be a better version of herself everyday 

  • Fitness and health in space 

  • Bone density and muscle mass 

  • Space Medicine 

  • The challenges of space flight environment and why it’s trying to kill you 

  • The “RIDGE” Framework short for Space Radiation, Isolation and Confinement, Distance from Earth, Gravity fields, and Hostile/Closed Environments.

  • Altered day night cycles - 1 sunrise/sunset every 90 mins - 16 sunrise - sunset cycles per 24hr period every and how it interferes with your sleep cycle

  • Micro-gravity and how it affects your bodily systems 

  • Physical activity as therapy and using it as a way of investing in herself. 

  • The days she doesn’t make it to the gym 

  • Needing to change something up - or end up burning out 

  • Learning diving skills and spending time underwater

  • Looking for transferable skills

  • Being operational good and a good team mate

  • Operational environments: - emergency medicine, diving, sky diving and piloting 

  • The importance of having aqua-naught experience 

  • Going on 2 NEPTUNE Missions 

  • NEPTUNE (Nautical Experiments in Physiology, Technology and Underwater Exploration)

  • Building her space flight readiness

  • Learning to handle stress in challenging situations 

  • Why there is no room for ego 

  • Using emergency medicine as an example 

  • Escalation patterns of communication 

  • Question - Suggestion - Statement - Command 

  • Why there is a time and place for everything 

  • If everything is urgent - nothing is urgent!

  • Urgency fatigue - not knowing what do first

  • Being aware of what tools you have at your disposal

  • High risk - high reward scenarios 

  • The countdown to flight 

  • Since 2021 - the launch of private companies into space 

  • Going to space for research 

  • What kind of astronaut do you want to be?

  • Being a research astronaut 

  • Training flights as a team - and getting to fly with her good friends

  • Kellie Gerardi 

  • Dr. Norah Patten 

  • Figuring out research priorities 

  • The outreach aspects of what they do

  • Science diplomacy 

  • The lead up to the space flight 

  • Managing fears and concerns 

  • Having a job to do 

  • Being aware of the need to be prepared 

  • Deciding on the final payloads

  • Dealing with periods in space 

  • Quick Fire Questions

  • Being an evening person

  • Not scheduling early morning meetings

  • Starting her day at 9am

  • Favourite movie and favourite space movie 

  • 2007 movie - Sunshine

  • Book inspiration - Chris Hatfield - An Astronaut’s guide to Earth 

  • Music inspiration - liking high adrenaline workout play lists 

  • Liking the John Wicks Soundtrack 

  • Beach or mountains..

  • Favourite food at home and in space

  • High RPM skipping

  • Rest and relaxation

  • Her love for birds - having a 56g Lovebird - ‘Jules’ 

  • Mantra and words she lives by - ‘You’ve got this”

  • Words from mum - “Keep going” - “Keep moving”

  • Words from dad - “What’s the difference between success and activity? Success is eating tomato soup with a spoon, activity is eating tomato soup with a fork”

  • How to connect and follow along on social media

  • Final words of advice and wisdom for other girls who want to pursue 

  • Pick what you want to do, aim to be really, really good at it. 

  • Aim to become the hardest working person in the room. Because the work ethic is free.

  • Work really hard to get to where you want to be and then act like you belong there, because you do.

  • You just need to make space for yourself.      


Social Media


Website: shawnapandya.com 

Instagram: @shawnapandya 

 


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