THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Blessy Jaya Chandran, Michelle Anne George, Rahul Joseph Cecil and Narayan S A feel as if they had returned after a successful space mission. Back home after a dream-like five-day space training programme at the Space Academy, Singapore, they were brimming with excitement while interacting with the press at the Mascot Hotel here on Sunday. The foursome, clad in blue flight suits, indeed has had the best time of their lives being part of Saura Yaathrika, an initiative of Kerala Travels Interserve, a travel agency, for school students. They underwent intensive training at the Academy from May 30 to June 3 under Saura Yaathrika, one of the golden jubilee initiatives by Kerala Travels Interserve. Sessions conducted by engineers who are working for NASA and other space projects, visits to aerospace companies in Singapore, activities and training modules on design challenges and system engineering exercises, learning about challenges of sending people to space, sessions on space missions and building high pressure water rockets - the training programme had enough and more for the four. Timothy Kaufman, Brandon Wall and Nadire were the trainers of the programme.“Awesome!” was how Michelle, who has completed her Plus II from Believer’s Church Residential School, described her experience. Blessy Jaya Chandran, who has finished her Plus II from Government HSS, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram, was short of words while talking about the trip. “I have been planning to take up aeronautics engineering. But, now, I am thinking, why not astronautics!,” she said. Blessy is a recipient of the Kalpana Chawla Scholarship for the bright girl student from a government school instituted by Kerala Travels and so all her expenses towards the camp were met by the company. For Rahul, a Class XI student of St Paul’s International School, Kalamassery, the programme has strengthened his resolve to take up astrophysics. “The sessions have been great and there were students from a couple of other countries as well,” he said, adding with pride, “They nicknamed me Einstein after we took part in a debate.”Narayan, a Class IX student of St Thomas Residential School, Thiruvananthapuram, was seen much excited while talking about the zerogravity diving and paintball sessions. While he and Rahul can’t wait to share all the fun and thrill with friends in school, Michelle and Blessy are sad that their school days are over.And one thing all the four cherish is the ‘3 SAS’ badge, which they received at the end of the programme along with a certificate.
Comments
0 comment