India, UK join global mission to train girls for satellite launch

The initiative will provide 120 hours of online training to high school girls aged 14-18.

• EasternEye
• 14 October, 2024

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By: EasternEye

AEROSPACE startup Space Kidz India has announced the launch of “ShakthiSAT,” a global mission to train 12,000 girls from 108 countries in space technology. The mission aims to eventually launch a satellite as part of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-4 mission.

According to a statement by the company, Indian president Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to unveil the ShakthiSAT mission’s official poster in November 2024.

The initiative will provide 120 hours of online training to high school girls aged 14-18. The training will cover various aspects of space technology, including payload development and spacecraft systems, mission lead Srimathy Kesan told PTI. Countries participating in the mission include the UK, UAE, Brazil, Kenya, Australia, France, Greece, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan, among others.

A total of 108 students from each participating country will be engaged in the mission, which aims to nurture talent and foster collaboration in space science. “I am extremely happy to have conceived this idea, and I am confident that this initiative has the potential to benefit not only our country but the entire world,” Kesan said. “Our goal is to inspire and empower young women by providing them with opportunities that can transform lives and unite us globally through space exploration.”

Upon completing the online training, 108 students—one from each country—will be selected to travel to India for hands-on training in building payloads and spacecraft prototypes between June and August next year. A prototype presentation will be made to Narendra Modi later this year or early next year.

The mission plans to launch the satellite under ISRO’s Chandrayaan-4 mission in 2026, Kesan added.

Space Kidz India, headquartered in Chennai, has previously launched over 18 NSLVs, 3 suborbital payloads, and 4 orbital satellites. It is known for being the first organisation in the world to launch satellites with the involvement of high school and college students.

(With inputs from PTI)