Chintamani Pai, Vishnu Varma Raja, Kashyap Pathak
It had been some time since we had woken up on a moving train headed to Mumbai from Ahmedabad. After having a quick morning breakfast, we began reflecting on our recently conducted event entitled “Drone and Pico-Satellite Launch” at the Science City in Ahmedabad. Our brainstorming discussions started taking off, and a few ideas began emerging, especially on what space can bring into the lives of people all around the globe to inspire and connect them. How can a world on the doorstep of catastrophic global challenges be saved from its downfall?
The smiling faces of the hundred students to whom we had trained for the past few days in drone and space technology were still at the back of our minds. We had a feeling that all we had done was light a flame in their minds, which might inspire them to follow their dreams. The students may or may not remember us. Still, they would remember the sound of the drone propellers, which they had made with their hands and flown during group activities. We started recalling all the talks with senior ex-ISRO scientists and drone industry experts, which we had coordinated with the Indian space industry exhibitors. A great thanks must also go out to the American India Foundation, which played a pivotal role in our event in Ahmedabad. The organisation was founded at the urging of the former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. So our discussions began by remembering Vajpayee’s famous speeches in the Parliament, coming to today’s Atmanirbhar Bharat, and then going on to G-20 with Kashyap adding his points from the perspective of international relations.
While discussing, we stumbled on a thought, what if India could launch a student satellite involving students of all G-20 member nations under India’s G-20 presidency? This thought didn’t stop as we arrived in Mumbai; instead, it amplified in our minds forcing us to think of what could be done to make this idea a reality.
Kashyap had already noted our points during our discussions on his mobile, making a very first draft of the letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. By the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat (a monthly radio program by the prime minister), we became confident about our idea. We were sure that our voices would be heard and that our ideas may resonate with him and the Indian space community. So, on May 1 this year, we decided to write down our thoughts, and by midnight of May 2, Kashyap and myself, keeping Vishnu informed over online chat, prepared the final version of our letter to Prime Minister Modi. We then tweeted expressing our enthusiasm and hope that we may succeed, and even if we could not, have the joy of knowing that at least we had attempted.
This is how our “Mission Peace, Harmony and Prosperity” endeavour took off. We are confident that school students worldwide hold the key to the future of international cooperation. We feel that involving students from G-20 member nations to build a space asset collectively could be a significant step toward ensuring global peace, harmony, and prosperity. To this end, our mission proposes a student satellite as an outcome of India’s G-20 presidency, reflecting international scientific and cultural exchange.
To realise this G-20 student satellite, we propose five students from each G-20 member nation, along with a teacher/facilitator, will be sent an invitation to visit India. Thus, an estimated 100 students will be part of the programme. The programme can be designed through a series of talks and hands-on workshops under the G-20 program, followed by the launch of a CubeSat or NanoSat with the support of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The proposed satellite will broadcast a message of peace, harmony, and prosperity upon its successful launch, which HAM radio ground stations can receive. In general, student satellite missions involve designing, building, and launching satellites into space and provide students with hands-on experience in Space Research and Technology. The tasks often involve a CubeSat or a NanoSat. This miniaturised satellite can be designed, built, and deployed quickly and affordably, making it an excellent choice for testing new technologies or conducting experiments in space.
The entire exercise will provide immense exposure to students from all the member nations to come together, discuss and interact. An attempt to create a generation to tackle the global challenges will follow India’s principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The World Is One Family) under its G-20 presidency, reflecting India’s emphasis on values such as knowledge exchange, culture, and global cooperation. By launching a G-20 student satellite mission, we hope to create an environment of learning, excitement, and joy among students to learn space technology, thus connecting young minds from across the globe. The G-20 is one of the world’s largest and most influential economies, accounting for around 85% of global GDP. The member nations of this body could benefit from such an attempt to coordinate its policies to address global challenges and promote sustainable development. The proposed mission could symbolise international cooperation and unity, which could help reduce tensions and promote peace.
Initiatives that bring students together from different countries can instil empathy, which is essential for building peaceful international relations. The mission could inspire students to pursue careers in STEM fields, which could help address global challenges such as climate change, energy security, and sustainable development. This international student satellite mission could significantly impact maintaining global peace by promoting cooperation and collaboration, fostering scientific and technological advancements, symbolising international unity, and inspiring future generations of students. Holding the presidency of the G-20, India can take one more step towards building a more peaceful and prosperous future.
We are not sure the Indian space community may support our idea. Still, in our minds, we are already part of the Mission Peace, Harmony and Prosperity project, coordinating the mission with students and enabling the launch of an international student satellite under the G-20 flagship from Sriharikota. We are sure that our project can make a difference.
Dr Chintamani Pai is a researcher in Magnetism and Photonics with a particular interest in aerospace technologies. Vishnu Varma Raja did his M. Tech. in Nuclear Technology from Technical University Munich, Germany. Kashyap Pathak is a research scholar at the University of Mumbai pursuing his PhD in International Relations.
