Telangana scientist selected as Astronaut Candidate for 2029 Titan Space Mission

Akula Mohan Sai, a research scientist from Huzurnagar, Suryapet, has been selected as an astronaut candidate for the 2029 Titans Space Mission. A graduate in Astrobiology & Space Science, he trained globally and contributed to India’s GYANEX-1 analogue astronaut mission

Hyderabad: Akula Mohan Sai, a native of Huzurnagar, Suryapet district, has been selected as one of the Astronaut Candidates (ASCAN) for the 2029 Titans Space Mission, announced by Titans Space Industries (TSI). Belonging to the first cohort of Indian graduates in Astrobiology & Space Science, Sai will represent the Telugu-speaking states on a global astronautics’ platform.

Founded by Neal (NSL) Lachman, TSI is developing the Genesis Spaceplane, a reusable Single-Stage-to-Orbit vehicle, along with the Titans Orbital Port Space Station (TOPPS), Selene cis-lunar missions, and the Titania Lunar Base. Genesis is scheduled for its maiden Earth-Loop orbital cruise in 2029, followed by regular orbital and lunar expeditions, a press release said.

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Sai, a research scientist from Centre for Advanced Research in Space Psychology, funded by ICMR, located at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Bengaluru, is among India’s first graduates in Astrobiology & Space Science. His research focused on the Seed-to-Seed cycle of plants in lunar soil simulants, advancing the future of lunar botany and space farming.

He trained and lived in multiple international and national analogue astronaut missions across Poland, Arizona (USA), Ladakh, and Rajasthan, representing India on global platforms of analogue expeditions, astronautics, and human space exploration.

In July 2025, Sai served as Gagan-3 in India’s first indigenous analogue astronaut mission (Gaganyaan Analogue Experiment – GYANEX-1), alongside an Indian Astronaut Designate and a Navy Fighter Pilot, contributing to the validation of India’s first astronaut selection and psychology protocols, the press release added.