Not shortlisted for NASA, Indian-origin astronaut Shawna Pandya clarifies on Facebook

New Delhi: Following reports about her being shortlisted by NASA for its 2018 space mission under the Citizen Science Astronaut (CSA) programme, Indian-origin astronaut Shawna Pandya clarified on her Facebook post stating that she was not part of the selection. 

In a Facebook post, Pandya clarified that her work is separate from the work of the Canadian Space Agency and that of NASA, and should not be represented as such.  

"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," Pandya wrote on Facebook.

However, she remains a steadfast, committed and dedicated teammate and crew member to the work of both projects.

See her full Facebook post below:

Earlier, media reports claimed that Dr Shawna Pandya, who's a general physician by profession, has been selected for a NASA program.

The 32-year-old Pandya also denied news reports stating that she's a neurosurgeon, adding that she'd previously trained in neurosurgery for a short period, however, her medical license is in general practice.

She also said that she's not an opera singer, although she have sang opera on stage once and went well.

Thanking everyone for their recent well-wishes and support, she said it is really fantastic to see such enthusiasm for space and exploration.

"I am many messages behind, but will get to them all in the coming days," Pandya added.