Chennai Students Win NASA Award for Groundbreaking Internet Project

A group of Chennai engineering students won the 'Most Inspirational' award at NASA's International Space Apps Challenge with their project 'Photonics Odyssey' or AakashNet. The initiative aims to provide low-cost, high-speed internet to India's remote villages, inspired by ISRO's cost-efficient space technology.

In a remarkable achievement, a team of engineering students from Chennai has claimed the 'Most Inspirational' award at the prestigious NASA International Space Apps Challenge 2025. Beating over 18,000 global projects, their innovative proposal, 'Photonics Odyssey' or AakashNet, aims to deliver high-speed, low-cost internet to India's remote villages, effectively narrowing the digital divide.

The project, inspired by the Indian Space Research Organisation's cost-efficient space technology, envisions using public sector support and indigenous manufacturing to keep costs low. Prasanth Gopalakrishnan, a participant and second-year electronics and communications engineering student, expressed confidence in securing 'institutional support' with the NASA endorsement.

The initiative underscores a shift from commercial satellite internet models, often costly due to reliance on foreign materials and technology, to an India-centric solution prioritising public impact. With technical inputs from various engineering disciplines, the team plans to collaborate with ISRO and other public sector entities to refine and develop their concept.

(With inputs from agencies.)