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Shrushti Patil selected as R&D astronaut candidate with TSI
Over the next four years, Patil will undergo intensive astronaut training including spacecraft systems, orbital mechanics, extravehicular activities (EVAs) and microgravity research. Her first mission is scheduled for 2029 during which, she will orbit Earth twice as part of TSI’s upcoming programme.
PUNE: Shrushti Patil, an alumna of MES Abasaheb Garware College, Pune, has earned pride of place in the global Space research community by being selected as a Research and Development Astronaut Candidate (ASCAN) with Titans Space Industries (TSI). She is also the first woman from Vidharbha to be chosen for such a mission.
Over the next four years, Patil will undergo intensive astronaut training including spacecraft systems, orbital mechanics, extravehicular activities (EVAs) and microgravity research. Her first mission is scheduled for 2029 during which, she will orbit Earth twice as part of TSI’s upcoming programme.
About her selection, Patil told Hindustan Times, “Being selected as an astronaut candidate for the 2029 mission with Titans Space Industries is truly a dream come true. Over the next four years, I will undergo rigorous astronaut training. Every step of my journey from studying biodiversity to advanced Space microbiology has prepared me for this milestone and I feel honoured to represent the scientific community in this way.”
Patil also takes pride in being the first to achieve this feat, adding that she hopes her journey will inspire many students from smaller towns to pursue careers in Space sciences and research.
Patil credits her strong academic foundation in biodiversity and environmental sciences for her Space journey. A postgraduate in biodiversity (2019-21 batch) from the Annasaheb Kulkarni department of biodiversity, MES Abasaheb Garware College, Patil also holds a Bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from the Institute of Science, Nagpur. “My academic journey was driven by a deep curiosity to understand life in diverse environments and later, how life adapts in Space,” she said. During her master’s programme, field visits and in-depth microbiology studies shaped her research outlook. She acknowledges the mentorship of Dr Sonali Shinde - who guided her dissertation - as instrumental in shaping her independent research skills. To strengthen her interdisciplinary expertise, Patil later pursued diploma and certificate courses in remote sensing, GIS and astrobiology.
Her professional career began as a Space microbiologist at ResearchSat Pty Ltd, where she worked on Space biology experiments. Currently, she serves as chief scientific officer at RSat Space Technologies, Hyderabad, a sister company of ResearchSat, leading the design and development of life science experimental payloads for Space missions. She has already contributed to two successful suborbital missions, designing microbial experiments for Space research. With her groundbreaking achievement, Patil is set not only to contribute to international Space research but also inspire generations of scientists to come.
