In a historic and daring step, Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh—India’s first female pilot of the French-origin single-seater Rafale fighter aircraft—has now set her eyes on outer space. Famous for breaking glass ceilings in the Indian Air Force (IAF), Singh is looking to join India’s expanding space program in the future, perhaps as the country’s next woman in space.
Singh hit the headlines in 2020 when she became the first Indian woman to pilot the ultra-sophisticated Rafale fighter jet, an achievement which brought her national pride and international acclaim. Her success has been an inspiration for a whole generation of young women to aim high, not only in aviation but also in other male-dominated careers.
Now that India’s space agency ISRO is scaling up its human spaceflight plans with Gaganyaan and subsequent crewed missions, Singh’s background as a high-flying pilot positions her well for astronaut training. With the government placing a priority on women’s participation in STEM and defence, her move from sky to space seems a natural progression.
Her ambition is part of a larger national dream—one that aims to make India a space power globally and capable of empowering its women to lead from the front. If picked, Singh may become an icon of new India: bold, forward, and reaching for the stars—literally.
