The girl over the moon
When a five-year-old Akankshya landed in a home for deserted children and orphans, she had no idea that one day she would be on her way to land on the moon.
After the sudden death of Akankashya’s father, her mother dropped her off at the Adruta Children’s Home in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. She was only five years old.
But that did not stop her from shooting for the moon.
Today, Akankashya Dash is one of the six students from the Young Tinker Educational Foundation to be working on the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) 2023.
“I like to innovate and experiment by performing STEM activities. I also love to do hands-on work like drilling, cutting or grinding something out of the box. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who was an Indian aerospace scientist and also the 11th President of India, is my role model”, Akankshya said.
Currently pursuing her education at Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Bhubaneswar, Akankashya is grateful to have found the Young Tinker Academy that gave wings to her dreams. This is, after all, where she found out about the 2023 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC).
“We want our students to dream high and achieve them. Through Young Tinker Foundation, we aim to provide a platform for all the students to shine,” Founder Anil Pradhan said.
Akankshya – along with other students of the academy – sent a proposal to the NASA HERC team and they were selected. For the last six months they have been working on the design, material testing and manufacturing of a human-powered rover vehicle. They will be traveling to the US in April 2023 to represent India.
Turning adversity into opportunity
Akankashya is an inspiration for all women who wish to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as a career. She is not only leading communication for her NASA Rover team, but has also impacted the lives of 2,500+ students through hands-on workshops.
I love hands-on work like drilling, cutting or grinding something out of the box. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, is my role model
She says that science helps people gain a better understanding of how things work.
“I feel like it equips me with tools to ask questions and also find answers that can lead to new discoveries and innovations,” she said.
Full steam ahead as mentor
Akankashya hopes to remain active in her community and mentor others just the way she was mentored by the Young Tinker Academy. Through science she wishes to learn more about ecological shifts and be able to protect the environment.
“I want to continue gaining experience and knowledge in my chosen field by developing skills and exploring opportunities – but studying can get tiring! To take a break, I enjoy playing outdoor games, watching movies and listening to music,” Akankshya said.
The NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge is designed to align with NASA’s Artemis Mission. NASA’s goal with the Artemis mission is to send the first woman and first person of color for exploration at the Moon’s South Pole and to develop a sustained human presence on the Moon.
“This is a really proud moment for India that, this year again, our student team has been invited by NASA to represent India at the Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) 2023. Last year we received World rank 3, this year we are aiming and working towards World rank 1”, Young Tinker Academy Co-Founder Vaishali Sharma said.
Teesta Rajan is an Associate Director of Village Vibe at Village Square. She is passionate about food, travel and culture.
The lead image at the top shows Akankashya Dash – one of the six students from the Young Tinker Educational Foundation to have been chosen to take part in the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) 2023. (Photo by Young Tinker Academy)
