Shawna Pandya, a citizen-scientist astronaut with Project Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere (PoSSUM), goes over some pre-flight prep with Derek Gowanlock on-board a Falcon 20 aircraft at the Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport before testing an experimental high-altitude spacesuit The next step in testing for a new type of spacesuit is in Ottawa this week, which could lead to [...]

Twenty thousand feet above Ottawa, Shawna Pandya floats gently out of her seat and executes a graceful midair swoop. Our Falcon 20 jet is halfway through a series of parabolas, which produce brief periods of microgravity, the classic “vomit comet” flight profile used to train astronauts, give adventurous tourists a taste of space, and film cool music videos. But Pandya, [...]

" Meet Dr. Shawna Pandya, a general physician by profession, whose job titles at times have included runway model, neurosurgical resident, entrepreneur, taekwondo champion and now, citizen-scientist astronaut candidate " By Surbhi Gogia History is witness to superhumans born with gifted powers to acquire multiple academic accolades or excel in their fields at a very young age. These were the [...]

Everyone—or almost everyone—loves a good origin story. From the New Testament to the neverending deaths of Bruce Wayne’s parents and Peter Parker’s uncle, we’re fascinated by the catalysts, epiphanies, and pivotal moments that make people who they are. With that in mind, Fightland has started talking to our favorite professional and amateur fighters and enthusiasts about the first big defining [...]