In a government school classroom in Dowleswaram, a physical science teacher noticed something in a Class 10 student that would eventually take her all the way to New Delhi, and possibly, one day, to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).That student is Kandula Jessie. She is 14 years old, the daughter of a carpenter, and now one of 20 Indian participants selected for Mission ShakthiSAT, the world’s first global all-girls lunar CubeSat mission. She is also the only student from Andhra Pradesh to make the final Indian list, chosen from nearly 12,000 registrations across 108 countries.Her story is not one of early advantage. It is one of a single teacher’s attention, a family’s financial struggle, and a student who kept showing up to online classes after school, even when the concepts felt far beyond her.

The teacher who saw it first

Jessie studies at Zilla Parishad Girls High School (ZPGHS), Dowleswaram, and it was here, in the school’s Atal Tinkering Lab, that her science teacher Manimala first registered her for the programme last year.Manimala had noticed Jessie’s consistent interest in science and innovation, and her active participation in the lab’s activities and competitions. Jessie did not stop at applying for herself. She encouraged eight other students from her school to register as well. But when they tried to join, they found the online coursework had already begun. Manimala reached out to the programme coordinators directly and secured a second opportunity, which allowed Jessie to continue.

What it actually took to get selected

Selection for Mission ShakthiSAT was not a matter of filling out a form and waiting. It involved online learning modules spread across roughly 550 sessions and 21 modules, covering satellite systems, propulsion, thermodynamics and space technology. Applicants also had to clear a one-hour interview with scientists and coordinators, and submit a one-minute video explaining the mission and the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.Jessie managed to complete nearly 50 to 60 percent of the coursework while also preparing for her Class 10 board exams, attending online classes daily after school hours.“I found many concepts difficult initially because they were far more advanced than what we study in school, but I continued attending the classes every day,” Jessie told TOI.The interview round added another layer of difficulty. It was conducted entirely in English with international experts, and Jessie worked on improving her communication skills with help from her teachers and educational videos in the lead-up to it.“I was nervous speaking to international scientists. I never expected a government school student like me would get selected,” she said.

A family shaped by financial constraints

Jessie’s father works as a carpenter. According to her mother, Aruna, the family had to move Jessie from a private school to a government school due to financial constraints.It was in that government school, in a lab meant to introduce students to tinkering and innovation, that a teacher spotted her potential. What could have been read as a setback turned out to place Jessie exactly where her interest in science could be noticed and encouraged.“My husband is a carpenter and we have faced many struggles. Seeing my daughter confidently interact with international scientists was one of the proudest moments of our lives,” Aruna said.

What comes next

From August 23, Jessie will travel to New Delhi for the next phase of the programme, which includes hands-on training and National Space Day celebrations. There, she will work with scientists on satellite design, payload development and mission operations for the student-built lunar CubeSat, a small satellite designed to operate around the Moon, which is proposed to launch from Sriharikota on October 11.Jessie is also hopeful about attending an event where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be present.“After getting selected for this programme, I feel that with hard work I can achieve my dream of joining ISRO. I also want to support my parents and make my teachers and school proud,” she said.

About Mission ShakthiSAT

Mission ShakthiSAT is led by Dr Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India, an organisation that works to make space science accessible to young people. According to its official website, the mission aims to encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM through hands-on experience in space science, satellite technology and international collaboration.For Jessie, it has already done more than that. It has turned a government school student’s daily after-school effort into a real shot at a career in space science.