With the influx of on-screen delights like Cosmos , Interstellar and Gravity , the enigma of outer space has lured in global interest, especially from India. The country’s first astronomy and eco-tourism centre Astronomy Society India, or AstroSoc, is run by a group of people who redefine enthusiasm— and it’s right here in Hyderabad.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has accomplished plenty; their most recent being their Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket having just successfully launched a GSAT-9 satellite, in hopes to ameliorate communications across South Asia.
India’s knack for engendering social impact on an infrastructural level has inspired AstroSoc’s own development since its conception, as founder Sree Harsha Pandula shares, “When I completed my studies in Electronics and Communications Engineering from JNTU as well as having done some online astronomy courses, I really wanted to join an astronomy-oriented society, but there was nothing available.” Harsha then took the initiative and started a Facebook page in 2014, which would serve as a springboard. The positive response he received motivated him to expand to a society the following year.
Beyond star-gazing
HYDERABAD, TELANGANA, 09/05/2017: AstroSoc leaders Gulshan Kumar DVV and Harsha Pandula with their team at Jaya Engineering, Secunderabad. Photo: K.V.S. Giri
“It’s so great that India is doing such brilliant work,” Harsha commends, “I’ve seen SpaceX experiencing problems with their launches, while Indian-run launches have been phenomenal. I think people here are more committed. There’s not much in terms of technology, but these core values and ethics push them to do better than other space centres outside.
AstroSoc, equipped with its own Applied Sciences Department (AstroSoc LLC) as of 2016, is gearing up for major action in the coming months, “We want to make space technology accessible to people, especially the younger generations who are more excited about it. We started with small-scale nano-satellites, and now we have a contract with Mars Polar for whom we will be working on a satellite, but the costs are very high so we are shaping up the financial framework. We also have connections with International Dark Sky Association and Astronomers Without Borders to globalise the exposure we give to our members.”
In early May, AstroSoc was selected for Google’s ‘Anu & Naveen Jain Women’s Safety XPRIZE’ competition, which encourages the technology sector to come up with transformative solutions to women’s safety issues, “We have a separate department called AstroSoc Star Dust Program, “Harsha explains, “and we have tied up with Google XPRIZE, an innovation facilitator for social change. The goal is to design an inconspicuously triggered distress response system for a given set of scenarios. The prize is for $1 million and we hope to bag the amount so we can get started with our long-term goals within space technology.”
AstroSoc LLC is brimming with interns from local engineering colleges, too. “What we’re doing is elevating their exposure by having them work on real-time projects,” Harsha says, “Colleges tend to make you focus on the theory more than the practical aspects of our field. Ultimately, whatever they build here will be improvised upon for high valuation in the market. Everyone here has some kind of background in astronomy, but they couldn’t pursue the same due to various circumstances.”
Capturing the universe
Youth meet-up
AstroSoc’s Outreach Program has also been a hit with the city. Member Gulshan Kumar DVV has a proud passion for astrophotography. According to Gulshan and Harsha, basic DSLRs can be used for wide-field astrophotography, while deep space astrophotography requires specialised equipment which would cost you at least five lakhs. “That’s the very reason we moved into Applied Sciences; the same technology that would capture these deep space objects are so expensive when it comes to India. For example, Celestron Telescope costs two lakhs to just to bring over here, but in the United States, it’s way more economical.”
Let’s face it, the polluted skies of Hyderabad are not a great canvas for starry nights, but AstroSoc hosts regular outstation field trips for those interested in astronomy and astrophotography. “We have a lot of corporate people coming in as well, and they’re delighted with these adventures because they are confined to their office space. We provide that environmental change as well as the opportunity to see what is beyond our atmosphere. On that note, we want to take this to Bangalore, where these expeditions would be well-received too.”
AstroSoc celebrates a combination of globalisation and nationalism, by showcasing themselves as a growing epicentre of aero-space technology, “With the recent abomination over Chinese goods and the void in the market, this seems to be the best time to encourage proliferated talent and achieve a desirable revolution which encourages ‘Make in India,’ with not just branding in mind but we carry a mindset to achieve accelerated growth and make a definitive impact not just across India but across the globe.” The team at AstroSoc LLC works with Jaya Engineering to manufacture and assemble various components and casings, using imported metals from Russia. The final parts are then purchased and utilised by Defence.
Additionally, you can read all things astronomy in the team’s seasonal two-edition publication Beyond Earth . Expect their next issue out in June, featuring an exclusive interview with Mumbai-based planetary scientist Dr Henry Throop.
Visit AstroSoc’s website and Facebook for more information.
