‘Space is one family’: The inclusive team behind India’s latest satellite launch

A nano satellite built in India is set to launch a portrait of PM Narendra Modi and a copy of a Hindu religious script into space. Rituparna Chatterjee reports on why this is no exercise in religious nationalism

An image of the SD SAT with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph on it (Space Kidz India)

At the end of this month, a nano satellite built indigenously by an inclusive team of young Indian science students will blast off into space carrying a portrait of prime minister Narendra Modi, a copy of the Hindu religious scripture Bhagavad Gita, and the names of 25,000 people. 

The lead scientist behind the project is a man named Rifath Shaarook, a 22-year-old physics grad who spoke toThe Independent about the mission that seeks to inspire a younger generation to build up India’s footprint in space technology, currently out of reach for millions in the country.

“We decided to send the Bhagavad Gita to honour its principles ofVasudhaiva Kutumbakam. The world may be divided into borders but space has no border,” said Mr Shaarook, who was also part of the team that helped launch the world’s smallest satellite into space in 2017. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is a Sankrit phrase that translates as “the entire world is one family”.