Rama Krishna Sangem
Dr Srimathy Kesan was one of the close to dozen people that were to meet Elon Musk when he was supposed to come to India in March 2024. But of course, that meeting didn’t happen. “Then I was thinking what can I share with him..if I were to meet.. our small satellite models would be like kids toys before him,” recalled Kesan while talking to Excel India from Chennai on October 8, Wedneday. Then she hit upon the idea of projecting for him a satellite designed and built by girls from as many as 108 countries across the world.
Musk visit was cancelled, but not the idea of Dr Srimathy Kesan. She continued to work on the idea and thus came the project of ShakthiSAT which is before us now. Not just Indian but the global media is talking about her ambitious yet possible project of ShakthiSAT which will be put into the space orbit and Moon in thecoming months.
Mission ShakthiSAT was officially soft-launched on 16th January 2025 with the participation of 370 students from 100 countries. The initiative introduces a unique space curriculum comprising 21 modules that cover fundamental subjects such as Physics, Mathematics, Orbital Mechanics, Systems Engineering, and Communication Systems.
The curriculum is available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, making it the first-of-its-kind global program for high school students, designed by leading professors from universities in the US, Europe, and India. It is hosted on the Zoho Learn platform, generously provided free of cost for global access. Currently, nearly 7,000 students worldwide are actively engaged in this program.
By December 2025, participants will complete the modules, after which each country’s Woman Ambassador (Devi) will select one outstanding student to travel to India during February-March 2026 for a two-week hands-on payload integration program. Two payloads will be developed, one for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and another for the Moon.
The LEO payload will be launched from India’s launchpad at ISRO, serving as a precursor to the Moon mission. Discussions are also underway with iSpace, Japan, to explore a potential ride-share opportunity on their Resilience mission to the Moon.
The estimated budget for this historic initiative is around ₹100 crores, with no financial burden placed on students for the curriculum, travel, stay, or payload development. Adding to this vision is the campaign “1$ to the Moon”, a symbolic initiative that emphasizes inclusivity and collective ownership of space exploration.
UN sustainable development goals
As we celebrate World Space Week (WSW), the mission reiterates its commitment to building a globally accessible, equitable, and sustainable space future, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Mission ShakthiSAT advances SDG 4 (Quality Education) by providing free, high-quality learning opportunities to students worldwide, SDG 5 (Gender Equality) by empowering young women through the Devi Ambassadors, said Dr Srimathy Kesan.
SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) through hands-on innovation in space technology, SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by ensuring equal access across 100 nations, SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by promoting space diplomacy, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by fostering international collaboration with universities, industries, and agencies.
As preparations move steadily towards launch readiness, the adolescent participants from Madhya Pradesh stand as shining examples of India’s transformative journey in space science and education. Their inspiring story, transitioning from modest village classrooms to the grand corridors of Rashtrapati Bhavan, is a living testament to Viksit Bharat, an India that grows stronger by empowering its daughters to reach for the cosmos.
Ultimately, Mission ShakthiSAT embodies far more than the launch of a satellite; it signifies the rise of a global movement, a declaration that when girls rise, humanity rises. Carrying into orbit both instruments of science and an enduring message of inclusion, innovation, and peace, Mission ShakthiSAT establishes a historic precedent in space endeavour: a spacecraft conceived and built by girls for the world, says Dr Srimathy Kesan.