3,500 students participate in India's first hybrid sounding rocket

India’s first hybrid sounding rocket by private players was successfully launched from Pattipulam village in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday. Around 3,500 students from government schools across the country became part of a team that designed and constructed a student satellite launch vehicle (rocket) and 150 PICO satellite research experiment cubes that contained different payloads. 

The student team included 200 from the fishermen community in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, 100 students from tribal communities across India, and 60 from Tamil Nadu. Martin Foundation in association with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation and Space Zone India successfully completed the project known as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission 2023.

While Mumbai municipal corporation sponsored 20 students, Nagpur municipal corporation pitched in for 10 students.  The selected students learnt not only about satellite technology but also learnt more about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.  

“Our team efforts have borne fruit today and I am extremely elated. The students exhibited great enthusiasm to get trained in space sciences. We are thinking of doing more such programmes from now on, for the benefit of more students,”  said M Leema Rose Martin, Managing Trustee, Martin Foundation.

“The students grasped the concepts so easily and their enthusiasm to learn new technology certainly needs applause. Ably guided by professionals, the students worked tirelessly to make this possible," said Anand Megalingam, Founder and chief executive officer, Space Zone.