Thirty meritorious students selected under the Tata Steel Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS) programme on Tuesday embarked on an educational tour to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, the premier launch facility of the Indian Space Research Organisation in Andhra Pradesh.
The four-day tour, scheduled from May 26 to May 29, was flagged off by Odisha Science and Technology Minister Krushna Chandra Patra at a special programme organised at Pathani Samanta Planetarium.
The students were selected from among more than 76,700 participants from across Odisha who took part in the 19th edition of YATS, jointly organised by Tata Steel in collaboration with the Pathani Samanta Planetarium under the state’s Science and Technology Department.
During the visit, the students will get first-hand exposure to India’s space research and satellite launch programmes. They will tour different divisions of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre-SHAR and gain insights into launch vehicle systems, satellite technology, telemetry and tracking operations associated with India’s space missions.
Addressing the students, Minister Patra said the initiative would provide a unique opportunity to young astronomy enthusiasts to deepen their understanding of space science and astronomy. He expressed confidence that such exposure would inspire the participants to become future scientists and contribute to the nation’s scientific advancement.
Science and Technology Department Additional Chief Secretary and Chairperson of the planetarium, Chithra Arumugam, extended her best wishes to the students and encouraged them to pursue scientific research with dedication, curiosity and innovation.
She said the participants would get an opportunity to observe telemetry systems and understand rocket launch-related activities, which would further motivate them towards careers in space science and research.