Five-day space camp for students launched

Updated on: Wednesday, March 09, 2011

A project exposing school students to a five-day training in space studies was launched in the city.
The initiative launched in an effort to kindle interest in space studies would facilitate 30 school children undertake a five-day training at the Space Academy in Singapore.

'Saura Yaathrika', the project launched by Kerala Travels Interserve (KTI), provides opportunity to students between 9th and 12th standards to get trained under renowned astronauts, astrophysicists and space scientists at the Academy, KTI Managing Director, K C Chandrahasan, told reporters here.

The total cost of the programme per student would be around Rs one lakh, which would be borne by the students themselves, he said.

While 10 students would be selected from Kerala, the rest would be drawn in from other states, he said, adding selection would be based on the basis of an entrance examination and interview.

Qualifying students must be well-conversant in English, and would start their training, which would be conducted by former NASA engineers and scientists, on June 13, he said.

Project consultant, D S Rane, said the trainees would get to learn about life as an astronaut, human effects and challenges in space environment, basic rocketry, robotic navigation, physics of satellite orbits, along with relevant site visits.

KTI Executive Director, Jaya Chandrahasan said the travels had also instituted a scholarship in the name of the first Indian American astronaut Kalpana Chawla, killed along with other members of the space shuttle 'Colombia'.

A girl student from a government school in Kerala, chosen from among the applicants, would be selected for the scholarship and all her expenses at the camp would be sponsored by KTI, she said.

Five-day space camp for students launched

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