The mysteries and wonders of the cosmos often seem distant and unreachable, particularly for children in India’s rural and remote areas.

However, in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district, young students are now being introduced to the captivating world of space science and technology.

For the first time, these children are engaging with space science by observing obstacle-avoiding robots, exploring 3D printing, and learning about satellite applications, such as weather monitoring and agricultural mapping.

They’ve even had the opportunity to observe sunspots, sparking their curiosity and sense of wonder.

This has been possible because of a pioneering space lab set up by Dr Nidhi Patel to improve STEM education in her district.

The lab’s launch coincided with the success of India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, providing a compelling narrative for the importance and relevance of space exploration in education.

With an allocation of Rs 10 lakh from the district administration, the space lab was established in collaboration with an ISRO-registered non-profit, empowering students and opening up new opportunities.

“There is very little motivation for rural children to stay in school. This initiative introduces hands-on learning to make studies more engaging. It has the potential to cultivate the next generation of Indian scientists and engineers,” says Dr Nidhi.

Over 900 students have visited the space lab so far. The district administration is planning to set up five more space labs to further engage students in more schools.