Significant strides are being made in Peru! The CubeSats in Peru project was invited to present at the international SmallSat Education Conference at the Kennedy Space Center on October 26-27, 2024. This impactful conference is designed for educators, professors, and students to learn about the latest developments using CubeSats, ThinSats, and High-Altitude Ballooning.
16-year-old Naydelyn Hurtado Gonzales and professor Elva Rivera Chipana from the Colegio Nacional Heroinas Toledo in the city of Concepcion, in the Junin region, were selected from sixteen crews of the CubeSats in Peru project to present their groundbreaking work on using CubeSats to help farmers in the Mantaro Valley. Their team is drawing up a wind map to help farmers understand the consequences of the natural effect of strong winds on crops, which can help them choose crops to plant that are more resistant to altitude.
Paola Wong, head of the CubeSats in Peru project in Lima, spoke about the project's first phase, which involves the training program, assembly of the A3Sat CubeSat emulator, and implementation of the ground stations in each of the sixteen schools throughout Peru. The second phase consists of experiments and information obtained for data analysis. Phase 3 will be building and launching an operational CubeSat into space.
For Naydelyn, visiting the Kennedy Space Center was a dream come true and quite a learning experience. “When I started the project, I felt it was an opportunity to add knowledge by building CubeSats. I thought about how something so small could help us, and as I continued with the project, I learned that it could, and a lot. This project has not only allowed me to learn more about science, but also to meet people who inspire me to continue forward with effort and dedication.”
Naydelyn, who had never flown or been outside of Peru, shared this: “Be brave and make an effort so that you find something interesting and fascinating because, with science, we find a deeper view of different places and new knowledge. From a very young age, we have different curiosities, and with science, we get answers. This has been a wonderful experience and the message I take away the most is that we all have opportunities to provide a solution based on science.”
Along with One Voice 4 Change, the CubeSats in Peru project has the support of the Peruvian Space Agency (CONIDA), the National University of Engineering, and the Engitronic and STEAM World companies in Lima.
One Voice 4 Change extends heartfelt gratitude to the generous donors whose support made this transformative journey possible. Your belief in our cause and your generous contributions have paved the way for these young minds to explore the realms of space technology and education.
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