![Thai International Space Settlement Design Competition [ISSDC-TH] competition in Thailand](https://www.edupdate.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/520E1D238F73248FE52A99F41DEDAB80.jpg "Thai International Space Settlement Design Competition [ISSDC-TH] competition in Thailand")
Thai International Space Settlement Design Competition [ISSDC-TH] competition in Thailand
Throughout her 36 years of life, Pirada Techavijit has literally defied gravity and shattered most of the glass ceilings which typically hold so many of us down. Shortly after graduation from university, Pirada rapidly grew to become one of Thailand’s most visible satellite engineers; despite having walked into a field which is typically dominated by men.
In her late twenties, she appeared on a popular Thai TV show and only a year later, Ms. Techavijit became the first Thai pilot to win a ride atop a Lynx Mark II rocket after being carefully selected by a space exploratory committee which even included famous astronauts like Buzz Aldrin. As the only woman among the three Thai finalists, her victory at the Axe Apollo Space Academy Competition not only shattered yet another glass ceiling, but was also a crowning achievement to a remarkably dynamic aerospace career.
As one of Thailand’s most famous satellite engineers, Ms. Techavijit then spent a vast amount of time working at the NXPO. (The Office of National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation) Obliterating one barrier after the next, she attained her piloting skills at Thailand’s Kampangsene & Don Muang air force bases and acquired astronaut skills in the USA after having already achieved advanced degrees in engineering.
Presently a fixture in Thailand’s outer space exploration community, many would have been quite happy with a career in Thailand’s satellite program. Yet, Ms. Techavijit is very concerned with helping Thai youth reach the stars. So, starting in 2017, she became a leading voice at Thailand’s chapter of STEMLAB and FABLAB- a series of special high school lab facilities where engineers assist gifted students in using innovative new tools to develop 21st century student projects. Ms. Techavijit helped establish the first two prototypes and has been involved with a recent high altitude balloon project as the STEMLAB/FABLAB program expanded into 170 locations.
And now, Ms. Techavijit has joined the Thai International Space Settlement Design Competition [ISSDC-TH] as its first Executive Director of Aerospace Development for Thai youth. The ISSDC is a NASA legacy educational initiative which opened as a collaboration between NASA and the Boy Scouts of America back in 1984. Today, it is operating in 35 countries and Thailand became the first ASEAN nation to join in this prestigious global competition in 2020.
The ISSDC of Thailand is an exciting game competition and space industry simulation for the Kingdom’s most gifted high school students aged between 14-18 years old. Eager students from a school team of 10 people and file a proposal for their own ideas for new space technology to be used in an outer space colony of 10,000 people. Student proposals are reviewed by actual engineers at prestigious aerospace organizations such as Boeing, NASA, and are also reviewed by numerous other space experts quite like Ms. Techavijit.
When a design is approved, the students are placed into the shoes of real life aerospace engineers and scientists and they are directly connected with those experts whilst they are still in high school. Working together for months, the engineers & scientists help the students find solutions to technical challenges as they build their concept in preparation for the first Thai National Competition, which is slated to be held in Bangkok this coming November.
As Executive Director of Aerospace Development for the Thai ISSDC, Ms. Techavijit will help the global ISSDC as it reaches out to Thai youth for the very first time. Students who win in Thailand’s National Competition get to go on to compete at the Asian Regional Finals in India in January of 2022, and any student teams who win there will get the once in a lifetime chance to fly to America with Ms. Techavijit and compete at the Kennedy Center, NASA, in July of 2022. It only costs 5,000 Thai baht (or 500 baht per student) to enroll and no fees are charged to the schools.
Ms. Techavijit is sharing her rare knowledge with a very talented Thai ISSDC Executive Committee. Featuring the popular journalist & acclaimed academic Jason Jellison as Chairman, Oranush Kunatiroana as Operations Manager, and prominent members from other space agencies around the world, this talented team now carries the hopes and dreams of Thailand’s young space leaders upon their wings.
Hosted by Astrium Competitions, LTD., the Thai ISSDC is committed to keeping costs as low as possible for Thai students. By helping to assist brilliant Thai high school students reach both the stars as well as possible Ivy League universities, Ms. Techavijit once told journalists “I am so glad my efforts have helped me attain success. More than that, I can inspire others to follow their dreams and go into space.”
As Executive Director of Aerospace Development for the Thai ISSDC, Ms. Techavijit will not only inspire others to go into space, but is now directly helping Thailand’s most gifted youth to boldly go where few others have gone before. And, while some might argue that ‘the sky is the limit,’ you can count on Ms. Techavijit and the brilliant young students in the Thai ISSDC to ignore tired old cliches and continue reaching for the stars.
For further details about the ISSDC- Thailand, see its website at www.thaissdc.org or visit the Facebook page, The Space Settlement Design Competition, Thailand – Thai SSDC https://www.facebook.com/TH.SSDC
Chairman Jellison can be reached for English-language interviews or questions at either his personal or company e-mail addresses. The Thai ISSDC e-mail address is [email protected] but Mr. Jellison prefers to be contacted at his personal e-mail address- [email protected]
For Thai-language inquiries, please message Ms. Oranush Kunatirojana, Operations Manager, at [email protected]
Source: Astrium Competitions Co., Ltd.
