This post and podcast are for informational purposes only, and are not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional with any medical-related questions.

“Creativity’s at the core of everything we do, whether medicine or space,” says astronaut Dr. Shawna Pandya.

And in approximately two years, she’ll be exercising her creativity in microgravity–as Canada’s first commercial female astronaut!

In June 2024, Canada’s International Institute for Astronautical Sciences announced Dr. Pandya’s appointment as Astronaut 002 on a first-of-its-kind suborbital research mission.

A suborbital mission

With teammates Kelli Gerardi and Dr. Norah Patten, Dr. Pandya is scheduled to fly aboard Virgin Galactic’s new Delta spacecraft, with the goals of advancing human-tended microgravity research, in 2026. The mission, IIAS-02, follows a highly successful inaugural research spaceflight flown by Kelli Girardi, in November 2023.

We first had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Pandya in 2021. Among her many professional classifications, she is: a neurologist; Director of IIAS’ Space Medicine Group, Vice-President of Immersive Medicine at Luxsonic Technologies, Inc.; and IIAS’ Chief Instructor of Space Medicine and Extreme Environments.

And spaceflight was her dream, long before she completed her scientist astronaut training at IIAS in 2015.

Dr. Pandya talked about the upcoming IIAS-02 mission, shared some of the activities involved in team preparations and explained the applications of creativity in her daily work.

On this edition of Over Coffee®we cover:

• How Dr. Pandya learned of her upcoming spaceflight;

• Her memories of the IIAS-01 mission;

• One of her best creative lessons, so far, from her work as an astronaut;

• How she and her team applied creative out-of-the-box thinking during her work as an aquanaut and in the Ukraine;

• What will be happening aboard the suborbital mission, IIAS-02;

• A general look at one of the research projects from !!AS-01;

• Considerations for the IIAS-02 mission, in the area of women’s health;

• An average workday, as she and her teammates prepare for space;

• One of the most fun experiences they’ve had!;

• Her perspective on pushing the limits, to facilitate access to space;

• A resource she recommends, for learning more about space and astronautics;

• The role of artists and “arts people” in human spaceflight;

• Her advice to the next generation of astronauts (and to anyone pursuing their dreams);

• Why she doesn’t consider failure–or success!–absolute;

• One of her own experiences with “failure” that ultimately helped her succeed;

• Some of the digital technologies with which she’s currently working, at Luxsonic;

• What a “suborbital mission” is, and what’s involved in making it successful;

• Where her highly disciplined approach to her work originated;

• Where to hear her speaking, in the future.