India's First Hybrid Sounding Rocket Launched by Students is a Milestone Achievement

India has made a giant leap towards space technology with the successful launch of its first hybrid-sounding rocket by private players. The rocket was launched from Pattipulam village in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu. But what makes this launch even more special is that it was designed and constructed by a team of 3,500 students from government schools across the country.  The student team, which included 200 students from the fishermen community in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, 100 students from tribal communities across India, and 60 from Tamil Nadu, built a student satellite launch vehicle (rocket) and 150 PICO satellite research experiment cubes that contained different payloads. The project was completed by Martin Foundation in association with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation and Space Zone India, and was called Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission 2023. The rocket mission was sponsored by Mumbai and Nagpur municipal corporations, who contributed to the project by sponsoring 20 and 10 students respectively. The students involved in the project not only learnt about satellite technology but also gained knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The launch marks a significant achievement in the Indian space technology industry and opens up opportunities for more such programmes to benefit students in the future. The success of this project shows that India’s young minds have the potential to contribute significantly to space research and development. Martin Foundation has expressed their willingness to continue such programmes in the future, giving more students the opportunity to learn and participate in space sciences. The students’ hard work and dedication, guided by professionals, has paid off and deserves applause for their tremendous efforts.