Indian student bags award by NASA; says ‘Elon Musk is my inspiration’

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and India have been collaborating on a number of scientific endeavours for several years, such as to explore space, advance technological innovation, and push the boundaries of scientific understanding. From joint missions to shared research initiatives, the partnership between NASA and India has yielded significant scientific advancements in a variety of fields.

Moment of pride

And so, it is truly a matter of pride when a young achiever from the nation stands tall in a world-based competition. One such is Rishit Katiyar, a class 12 (Science – Non Medical) student of Apeejay School, Noida, who participated in the ‘The Rid the Rocket Challenge’ by (NASA). The competition invited individuals, teams, and organisations to submit solutions for innovative ways to build a new chemical detection method that can be used by astronauts following space flight.

Rishit won the prestigious honour out of thousands of participants from around the world. Only five were selected for its next stage. As part of it, he created a technology that has the potential to revolutionise space exploration.

He developed a hydrazine detection system that could be used by NASA to ensure the safety and efficiency of their mission. Speaking about his innovation, he says, “It took me about two weeks to generate it. At first, I read through the tasks given by NASA. Then I zeroed down to the major points they wanted us to focus on. After which, I consulted different research papers to inculcate as many perspectives in my work. Then I made my online submission. As part of the next steps, I will make a prototype as well of the concept finalised.” In the coming weeks, Rishit will work on it. Further, he sought the necessary materials from his school for the project.

Curious mind

A subject that piques the young mind’s interest is Computer Science. He is also preparing for the JEE examinations and targeting a few Engineering colleges in India. Much like his engineer-father, he is quite tech savvy. In his free time, Rishit loves to search up science-based websites and read research articles. He also likes to participate in competitions focused on Robotics, AI and Coding. Following his passion, he even went to IIT Bombay for one such competition.

Among his role models is Elon Musk. Rishit hopes to imbibe his spirit for innovation. “I see the NASA achievement as the beginning of my ability to explore and create new things. I am hopeful that in future, I will create something big.”

When asked which sector draws him the most, he strongly says AI. But, he maintained that in a competition between man and technology, certainly man will win. “Technology is an enabler for humans. And what makes us different from other species is a thinking mind. So, we can make, break and imagine complex things to turn it into a reality. We don’t need a database to act.”

The talented student also credits his school for his achievement. Thanks to the inter-school competitions, Coding and Robotics club of the school, he got an early exposure to the world of technology. He also mentioned that a new Space development he is excited about is the Artemis programme, a robotic and human Moon exploration led by the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration along with three partner agencies—the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

Next steps

In the coming years, Rishit would like to pen down some research papers too. For now, he never misses a chance to read the works of professors of Harvard and MIT. And, a theme that he wishes to discover, as part of his research, is ‘Particle Behaviour of Non-Newtonian Fluids’.