55 Government School Students Leave for Free ISRO Tour

Coimbatore:

As part of an initiative to promote scientific temper among government school students, the Tamil Nadu Science Forum, Coimbatore district, has organised a free educational tour to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for 55 students accompanied by their teachers.

The educational tour was flagged off by Professor Lenin Bharathi, Mentor Teacher at the Innovation Hub of the Regional Science Centre, Coimbatore. The students departed by bus for Thiruvananthapuram, while the programme was presided over by Professor Prabhakaran, President of the Tamil Nadu Science Forum, Coimbatore district.

During the visit, the students will explore the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), which functions under the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) of ISRO. As India's first rocket launching station, TERLS holds a significant place in the country's space exploration history.

The students will also visit the TERLS Space Museum, which has been established in the historic church that played a key role during ISRO's early years. The museum showcases the evolution of India's space programme and the milestones achieved in space research.

An interaction session with ISRO scientist and author Sasikumar has also been arranged, giving students an opportunity to learn about space research, rocket technology and career opportunities in science directly from an expert.

As a special highlight of the tour, the students are expected to witness the launch of ISRO's RH-200 sounding rocket from the Thumba launch facility, offering them a rare first-hand experience of a live rocket launch.

The Tamil Nadu Science Forum has been organising similar science education and awareness programmes to provide government school students with exposure to advanced scientific institutions and inspire them to pursue careers in science and technology.