80 girls from schools across Tamil Nadu took their first step into space.
What’s it about? Srimathy Kesan’s aerospace startup Space Kidz launched a satellite project for kids from rural areas across India. 80 girls from TN participated, and four were from Chennai. The project had a ₹80 lakh budget. The students also got to interact with ISRO’s chairman and scientists.
- The girls were chosen by their science teachers in school on the basis of their interest in the field. Srimathy noted that none of the children in her team had scored more than 60%, but they built the world’s lightest satellite.
- The students were trained virtually in satellite building and design. Srimathy’s startup delivered Wi-Fi modems and communication devices to schools that needed them. In some cases, ten students gathered around a single device to attend the classes.
Overcoming hurdles: When AZAADISAT, the satellite, was launched through ISRO’s new rocket, it hit a technical snag and became debris. The organisation is now preparing a second satellite that ISRO will deploy in the SSLV-D2.
(Image credits: Space Kidz India’s website)