Students J. Parthiban, G. Gobinath and their instructor M.Kavitha from the Government Higher Secondary School in Ayyampalayam will probably be travelling to Russia quickly. They are a part of a 75-member crew chosen from authorities colleges in Tamil Nadu that participated within the Rocket Science orientation programme.
| Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY
If all goes to plan, Class 12 college students J Parthiban and G Gopinath and their science instructor, M Kavitha, will probably be spending every week in Russia subsequent month, touring, amongst different websites, the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Moscow area.
The trio will probably be representing Government Higher Secondary School in Ayyampalayam, Musiri district, as a part of a 75-member crew of scholars, lecturers and officers of Tamil Nadu’s School Education division.
Around 500 college students from 56 authorities colleges had been chosen throughout the State to endure coaching by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists and students below the Rocket Science programme launched in January 2022.
“After the students were selected, A. Sivathanu Pillai, CEO of BrahMos Aerospace, took online classes every weekend for around two hours per session. Attendance was compulsory, with enough time set aside for students to clear their doubts. The focus was on government schools, in keeping with the vision of former President and aerospace scientist, APJ Abdul Kalam, to give them a platform to showcase their talent,” says Kavitha.
Testing instances
The college students had been examined rigorously by way of on-line quizzes and research modules. Gopinath and Parthiban secured the fourth and fifth place respectively in a State-level mannequin design exhibition.
“In the third round, our team was asked to work on the topic of sustainable energy options for space missions, and I selected solar energy. After some online research, I used a PVC pipe to form the main body of the rocket, and fixed a motherboard and small solar panel on the side. The model cost around ₹500 to make,” says Parthiban.
Gopinath’s crew was given the duty of building a colony on the Moon. “I worked on a model using lunar laser communication demonstration (LLCD) that would collect data for satellites with ground stations on Earth,” he says.
It was actually a world away for the 2 youngsters, who had not travelled past Ayyampalayam till they enrolled within the Rocket Science programme. Parthiban’s dad and mom are farmers in Nachampatty village, whereas Gopinath’s father is a each day wage earner in Veeramanipatti, Musiri. Like most of their classmates, they’re first-generation learners of their household. “Our parents were worried about our safety and the expense involved in going abroad, but once our teachers explained everything, they were convinced,” says Parthiban.
The future beckons
Kavitha has been serving to the kids navigate the assorted rounds of the competitors. “Rural students usually do not have the exposure of those studying in city schools, but things fell into place after the initial hiccups. To give everyone an equal opportunity, the 130 students of the final round were split into teams with members picked from different districts. So eight students from our school were in eight separate teams.”
Only six groups had been chosen from 13 finalists, says Kavitha. “They had to work on four different themes. The entire process was conducted online from January 2022, and we were able to meet each other in person only at the final project exhibition in Coimbatore.”
The crew that Kavitha guided was positioned third within the finals. The trio is but to elevate the funds required for the journey, anticipated to value ₹2 lakh per particular person. “It is a great achievement for our school to be able to participate in this project. The children will be able to experience how space research works in the real world, and perhaps consider making it their career too.”
