Carpenter’s Daughter, 14, Earns Place on Global Lunar Mission After Competing With 12,000 Girls From 108 Countries
Carpenter’s Daughter, 14, Earns Place on Global Lunar Mission After Competing With 12,000 Girls From 108 Countries
Carpenter’s Daughter, 14, Earns Place on Global Lunar Mission After Competing With 12,000 Girls From 108 Countries
A 14-year-old government school student from Andhra Pradesh, India, Kandula Jessie, is turning an ordinary classroom dream into an extraordinary journey towards the Moon after earning a place on Mission ShakthiSAT, an international all-girls lunar CubeSat programme.
Jessie, a Class 10 student at Zilla Parishad Girls High School (ZPGHS), Dowleswaram, in East Godavari district, was selected as one of only 20 Indian participants from nearly 12,000 girls across 108 countries who registered for the programme. She is also reportedly the only student from Andhra Pradesh selected for the Indian contingent.
Her achievement is particularly remarkable because she comes from a modest family background. Her father, Kandula Rambabu, works as a carpenter, while the family previously had to move Jessie from a private school to a government school because they could no longer afford the fees.
From a government classroom to a lunar mission
Jessie’s interest in space science began to attract attention at school after her Physical Science teacher and Atal Tinkering Lab in-charge, Manimala, noticed her curiosity and encouraged her to apply for Mission ShakthiSAT in 2025.
The selection process required serious commitment. Jessie completed approximately 550 online training sessions across 21 modules, studying subjects including satellite systems, propulsion, thermodynamics and space technology—areas far beyond the normal Class 10 curriculum.
She undertook the demanding training while preparing for her Class 10 board examinations.
The final selection process included online learning, a one-hour interview with scientists and programme coordinators, and a short video presentation explaining Mission ShakthiSAT and the importance of STEM education. Jessie also worked to improve her English communication skills so she could confidently interact with international experts.
Her next step: building a satellite
Beginning August 23, 2026, Jessie is expected to undergo practical training in New Delhi alongside the other selected students. The programme will expose participants to satellite design, payload development, systems engineering and mission operations.
The student-built lunar CubeSat is planned for launch from Sriharikota on October 11, 2026, subject to the mission schedule.
Mission ShakthiSAT is being led by Space Kidz India, founded by Dr Srimathy Kesan, and is designed to encourage girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics while giving them practical exposure to space science and satellite development.
A dream bigger than her circumstances
For Jessie, the journey is about more than winning a place on an international programme. She has expressed a desire to become a scientist with India’s space programme, ISRO, and her selection has brought that ambition a significant step closer.
Her story is a powerful reminder that talent can emerge from anywhere—whether from an elite institution or a government school, and whether a family has abundant resources or limited means.
From a carpenter’s home in Dowleswaram to an international team preparing to build a spacecraft destined for the Moon, Kandula Jessie’s journey has become an inspiring example of curiosity, perseverance, education and the power of a teacher who recognised potential early.
A classroom in Andhra Pradesh has produced a dream that is now reaching for the Moon.
Carpenter’s Daughter, 14, Earns Place on Global Lunar Mission After Competing With 12,000 Girls From 108 Countries
