NASHIK :
The speakers of the online lectures series on the occasion of World Space Week, Anita Gale, a senior NASA scientist in the United States, a space shuttle engineer, and a senior project engineer in Boeing’s space shuttle payload and cargo aggregation; delivered a lecture on “Educational and Career Opportunities in Space Technology”.
President of Nashik India Chapter, Avinash Shirode informed the audience about World Space Week, National Space Society and Nashik India Chapter. After the introductory remarks, the keynote address was delivered.
Anita Gale, a retired space shuttle engineer from Texas, and Abhishek Agarwal, an entrepreneur from New Delhi, gave presentation on the topic. Anita is the co-founder of the “Global Space Settlement Design Competition” for high school students and Abhishek has created the annual Asian Semifinal Space Settlement Design Competition to be held in Gurgaon.
These various competitions are designed as an industry simulation experience for high school students. Students and their groups are assigned to develope a project that respond to settlement or accommodation needs in a space defined by fictitious customers.
Each company can have about 50 students and the participants take part in the work of the organization. Which includes the president of the student company and other staff and engineering departments. Importantly, engineers and managers in the industry guide students through the design process.
Although the design competition was an inspiring activity for the students, the emphasis of the speaker presentation was more on the ‘future history’ described in the background information provided to the students.
These students will start businesses in the future that will provide space for human beings to live in space. Large human settlements are expected to be built in Earth’s orbit in the future. Where they will create new materials in zero gravity using the metals available on the asteroids between the Moon and Earth.
The event concluded with a description of the future space colonies, not just for engineers, but ultimately for every business that would help communities live on Earth.
The speakers also suggested that the experience in the Space Settlement Design Competition would look good on the participation of colleges and from that develop management, communication and teamwork, that is, teamwork skills, which will further be valuable for their careers in the industry.
Indian students can participate in space settlement design competitions by visiting the Asian region website “arssdc.org” and thereby shaping their future. In the next few decades, the dream of human habitation on the moon, Mars and asteroids will surely come true and today’s young generation will be its witnesses and real partners.
