Kandula Jessie, Andhra Pradesh teen, joins global all-girls lunar mission

Kandula Jessie, a 14-year-old carpenter's daughter from Andhra Pradesh, was selected among 20 Indian students for the all-girls lunar CubeSat mission ShakthiSAT, chosen from 12,000 applicants across 108 nations. A Class 10 student at Zilla Parishad Girls High School, Dowleswaram, she is Andhra Pradesh's sole representative. She begins New Delhi training August 23; the satellite launches October 11 from Sriharikota. Her teacher enrolled her after recognizing her interest. She motivated eight classmates, studied evenings, and completed nearly half the coursework. She now aims for ISRO.