Two Indian students selected for world space station design workshop

SOLAN: Two students from Himachal Pradesh have been selected for the international space station design workshop to be held in Sydney next month.

Neeraj Kohli and Ashish Sharma, of J P University here, would be among 30 across the world to participate in the workshop to be held from July 16 to July 21.

The workshop is being organised jointly by university of Sydney and University of Stud Grand, Germany.

Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams, who created a record for the longest space flight by a woman, is expected to take part in the workshop.

The participants would design space stations under the guidance of experienced scientists.

"It's a great feeling. I look forward to learn new things from leading space scientists across the world," Kohli said.

A son of a retired police officer, Kohli had won gold medal in space design school competition at NASA last year. His paper on space habitat has recently been selected by International Astronautical Congress.

Kohli had a conversation with Williams, who will return from International Space Station on Thursday, through video-conferencing recently. 

His father R Kohli said that his son had a great interest in space science from childhood.

Neeraj, 22, would glean through latest in the space science from different magazines and journals, he said.

However, in the absence of any financial assistance either from the Center or the state government, Neeraj had to make to the NASA last year through contributions from friends and relatives

"While we eulogise the feats of Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams, a native boy who is trying to pursue their path is getting no assistance from the government," his friends complained.