A brilliant team of six students from Chennai has soared to global recognition, securing a spot among the top ten winners at the prestigious NASA Space Apps Challenge 2025. Their groundbreaking project, named AakashNet, proposes an indigenous, low-cost broadband system using low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to connect India's most remote and underserved regions.
From Chennai to the Cosmos: The AakashNet Vision
The international hackathon, organized by NASA, presented participants with the challenge of commercializing low Earth orbit. Rising to the occasion, the team from Easwari Engineering College conceptualized AakashNet—a hybrid satellite mesh broadband system designed to be secure, high-speed, and, most importantly, affordable.
Prasanth Gopalakrishnan, a member of the winning team 'Photonics Odyssey', explained the core technology. The project envisions a special user terminal with an array capable of dynamic beam steering. This terminal would communicate using Ku/Ka bands, linking directly with AakashNet satellites overhead. These satellites would then form a network connected by lasers, creating a mesh that relays data with minimal delay and less reliance on ground infrastructure.
A Stellar Victory Against Global Competition
The achievement is monumental, considering the scale of the competition. Photonics Odyssey triumphed over 18,859 other teams from 167 countries to be named one of the top 10 global winners. The team's innovation, technical strength, and significant potential for positive social impact worldwide were key factors in their victory.
The winning team comprised Rajalingam N, Prasanth Gopalakrishnan, Rashi Menon, and Sakthi Sanjeev Kumar (all second-year Electronics and Communication Engineering students), along with Deeraj Kumar and Manish Varma D (third-year Computer Science students specializing in AI and ML).
Rigorous Evaluation by Space and Tech Leaders
Their journey to the top involved multiple rigorous evaluation rounds. After being initially selected as Global Finalists, the team was ultimately chosen as winners by an executive committee. This committee included senior leaders from NASA and 14 international space agency partners, including the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Throughout the competition, their project was assessed by top-tier industry experts, subject matter specialists, and CEOs from leading global companies such as Google, Tesla, and Autodesk.
This victory not only brings immense pride to Chennai and India but also shines a spotlight on a practical, homegrown solution to the critical problem of digital connectivity. AakashNet represents a bold step towards bridging the digital divide using advanced, yet cost-effective, space technology.
