The 20 students who won Tata Steel’s Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS) 2023 left for Ahmedabad on Saturday to visit the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) space applications centre (SAC).

The winners of Tata Steel’s Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS) 2023 were selected from more than 300 schools across 30 districts of Odisha. The event was organised in association with Pathani Samanta Planetarium (PSP), which operates under the science and technology department of the Odisha government. All the students belong to Classes IX and X.

Selected in the grand finale of YATS on December 13, 2023 at PSP, the students will get to explore the SAC labs and interact with its director and other leading space scientists. They will explore the fields of astronomy and space science.

The Tata Steel flagship event has seen an astounding turnout with more than 80,000 students (Classes VI to X) from 30 districts of Odisha actively participating in this year’s edition. “The theme for this year, ‘The Moon Base — Future Launchpad for Space,’ has captured the imagination of participants and promises an exciting exploration of cosmic possibilities,” said a media release.

Flagging off the journey of these young students at the PSP, minister of food supplies, consumer welfare, science and technology of Odisha, Krushna Chandra Patra, said: “I believe these children will be able to contribute in a big way in the field of space science and research.”

Principal secretary of the science and technology department and chairperson of the PSP, Chithra Arumugam, said: “I would like to thank and congratulate the 20 brightest students who have been selected from among 80,000 participants to visit and explore the space centre of ISRO at Ahmedabad, Gujarat.”

She said: “Tata Steel has been conducting this noble initiative for the last 17 years and I am sure the company will continue its efforts towards building a strong industry-academia collaboration.” Chief resident executive, Tata Steel, Debasis Jena said, “YATS has been a pioneering initiative that encourages students to transcend conventional academic boundaries and nurture their scientific curiosity.”

Since its inception in 2007, YATS has been instrumental in fostering awareness of astronomy and space science, paying homage to the legacy of Pathani Samanta. For over 17 years, YATS has captivated the enthusiasm of over 350,000 young science enthusiasts from the state with 200 students having the privilege of visiting various ISRO facilities.