FPP208 - The Making of an Astronaut: From Fighter Test to the Edge of Space

What does it take to go from strapping into fighters to leaving Earth's atmosphere? This week, Jameel “Chocolate” Janjua — Virgin Galactic astronaut and former U.S. and Canadian fighter test pilot — breaks down the mindset behind elite aviation, how test pilots really think about risk, and what it means to operate at the absolute edge of performance. We follow his path from military flight test to commercial spaceflight, the lessons learned along the way, and why — even as technology accelerates — human judgment remains the final safety net. It’s a rare, inside look at a journey very few people on Earth will ever make. Support this podcast at —

You can listen to FPP208 - The Making of an Astronaut: From Fighter Test to the Edge of Space online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

FPP208 - The Making of an Astronaut: From Fighter Test to the Edge of Space is an episode from Fighter Pilot Podcast by E. Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello, Retired U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot.

This episode is 56:25 long.

This episode was published on Feb 6, 2026.

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