At 15, This Brilliant Bengaluru Girl Has Won A NASA Contest Thrice

In recent times, the daughters of India have proven their mettle by reaching to the stars and earning accolades. PV Sindhu in sports, Captain Kalpana Kundu in the Army, Shweta Ratanpura in World Skills and so many more. The ages of the patriarchy are long gone now, and the era of the women has begun. Don’t believe us?

Well, how about this?

A Bangalore girl of class 9 has won the first prize in the NASA Ames Space Settlement Contest (ASSC). No, this is not an inspiration drawn from the recent Bollywood movie about Mars mission. This kid has been winning the competition for the last three years. Read on to know more.

Hailing from the city of Bangalore, Nidhi Mayurika has been participating in the NASA ASSC since the year 2016, and has been winning the first prize constantly. When reaching the sky has been a mere metaphor for many, it is no joke for Nidhi. Someday, she aims to be a cosmologist. And, in the pursuit of making that happen, she is all set to move heaven and earth. And, her aspirations did not start now.

From class 5, Nidhi took part in school level science competitions, and that was merely a stepping stone for her journey. Recognizing her interest, skills and aptitude, her school principal told her about the NASA ASSC. And, when the opportunity struck, she did not let it go.

Her first concept that was a part of the 2016 competition was called Saikatam. A three-layered colony in space that was designed for human habitation at the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point. In this particular colony, humans will be able to not only survive, but also evolve, and sustain themselves. Built to replicate living condition on earth, the Saikatam’s design has artificial gravity, water, and air incorporated into it. And, how many people can live here?

Based on the design, the colony can sustain life for not only 4,000 humans, but also 1,000 animals. In order to understand the technicalities and nuances of this project, Nidhi spent several hours every day researching. Although supported by her teachers, Nidhi felt the need to stay ahead of the game. To make that possible, she took online courses from universities around the globe, such as the Australian National University, Boston University, and the University of Edinburgh.

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With the Saikatam winning the competition in 2016, her aspiration grew and she went on to participate in 2017 again.

This time, Nidhi brought the concept of a satellite that could be used for launching satellites — Soham. The Soham was designed to be a space colony that can be used extensively for building and launching satellites. Comprising of an inflatable space station — a pressurized structure that can support human life in space — Soham is designed to be located over 300 kilometers from earth. And, guess what? Soham went on to win the first prize that year at ASSC.

As Nidhi grew, so did her research and knowledge. In 2018, she built another outer-space colony which was called Swastikam. This colony was created to support organisms that are designed and created synthetically. In Swastikam, these organisms can adapt, learn to evolve and over time, become independent. With the change in parameters such as lack of gravity, heat, radiation, etc. organisms are bound to adapt. And, as before, she bagged the first prize in this competition as well.

The three victories are solid proof to reflect the amount of determination Nidhi has in making a career in the science of the space — cosmology. While her interest was in science, her motivation to participate in the contest was a lot different. Nidhi considered the platform to be ideal to express her ideas about space and the elements in it. In addition, she also felt a strong desire to represent her country in the competition.

Having won the contest thrice, Nidhi believes that the Indian contribution to the world is often undermined. With the Indian’s ability to prove several theories and discover several others, youngsters like Nidhi will be the beacon of light for the generations to follow.

What Makes Nidhi Amazing

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In the NASA ASSC, Nidhi won in the youngest category. Not merely that, she was younger than the youngest category. Speaking recently at a conference, Nidhi hinted that she began her interest as a biotechnologist at the age of 10, with the desire to help the blind, deaf, and dumb. She went on to explain about the possibilities that lay in the outer space settlements, leaving the audience dumbstruck.

In this massive advancement, Nidhi Mayurika is one star that is visible to our eyes. Behind the scenes, there are so many other Nidhis that are waiting to make a difference. All they need is a little encouragement and the leeway to make wonders happen. Once we are done fighting for marks and money, our country can reach heights that we could not imagine. And, our daughters will be the ones to make that happen.

The post At 15, This Brilliant Bengaluru Girl Has Won A NASA Contest Thrice appeared first on STYLECRAZE.

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