A young Guyanese woman is preparing to take part in an international space initiative bringing together girls from more than 100 countries for hands-on training in satellite technology, with Guyana among the nations represented in the programme’s second phase.
Nareeta Devi Nandkumar has been selected to represent Guyana in Mission ShakthiSAT, an ambitious all-female space and satellite initiative led by Chennai-based Space Kidz India and founded by Dr. Srimathy Kesan.
Nandkumar is scheduled to travel to New Delhi from August 22–31, 2026, where she will join selected participants from around the world for an intensive programme focused on the practical development of space technology.
Mission ShakthiSAT was launched on January 16, 2025, with the goal of empowering girls between the ages of 14 and 18 through education and practical exposure to space science, engineering and satellite technology.
The programme has brought together approximately 12,000 girls from 108 countries, making it a major international initiative aimed at increasing female participation in STEM and the space sector.
Rather than limiting participants to theoretical learning, the programme places young women at the centre of the satellite-development process, giving them opportunities to understand how a space mission moves from concept to execution.
Guyana’s journey into Mission ShakthiSAT
Guyana’s participation has been coordinated by Mission ShakthiSAT Ambassador to Guyana Devica Uditram, who has spent the past year supporting local participants and facilitating the country’s involvement.
Thirty young girls from Guyana participated in the programme’s first phase, gaining exposure to the fundamentals of satellite systems through a curriculum provided free of charge.
The first phase, completed in mid-2026, consisted of 120 hours of online training, covering mathematics, physics, coding, ham radio technology, printed circuit board design and payload development. The training was delivered through 21 modules and more than 365 lessons.
Nandkumar was selected from the Guyanese participants to advance to the programme’s second phase in India.
Uditram’s work in promoting Guyana’s participation has also received regional recognition. She was featured in HERizon: Women Shaping STEAM, a CARICOM Secretariat initiative highlighting Caribbean women contributing to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
From online lessons to satellite development
The second phase moves participants from online learning to practical space-technology development.
In India, Nandkumar will work alongside other selected girls while learning from scientists and engineers and gaining firsthand experience in satellite design, fabrication, testing, coding and integration.
The programme is expected to culminate in the development of two satellites that will be launched into lunar orbit.
International collaboration and cultural exchange will form part of the experience, bringing together young women from different countries through a shared interest in space science and technology.
Nandkumar’s participation will place a Guyanese student in an international environment where she can gain direct exposure to the technical processes involved in developing space technology.
Uditram will also participate in a Global Women Leadership and Space Diplomacy Summit, focused on education, leadership and building international networks in space and science.
Opening doors in STEM
Mission ShakthiSAT is designed to challenge longstanding barriers that have limited the participation of girls and women in STEM and the space sector.
The programme is being offered free of charge, giving students from different countries and backgrounds access to specialised training that may otherwise be difficult to obtain.
Nandkumar’s selection gives Guyana an opportunity to place a young woman directly into an international space-technology programme while demonstrating to other students that careers in advanced science and engineering are within their reach.
Her participation could also broaden the conversation around STEM education in Guyana, particularly the need to expose students to emerging fields such as satellite engineering, aerospace technology, coding and advanced manufacturing.
Mission ShakthiSAT seeks to move girls beyond learning about space and towards becoming contributors to the sector.
Nandkumar’s journey to India offers Guyana a tangible example of that ambition—a young Guyanese woman moving from online lessons into hands-on satellite development and representing the country on an international space-technology platform.
