Two Indian kids win NASA prize

Chennai, Apr 16 (PTI) Two Class seven students of a
school here have jointly won the second prize with a Romanian
team in a competition conducted by NASA this year.
M Srivatsan and Vasundhara Gautham of Bhavan's Rajaji
Vidyashram are the only participants from southern Indian
state Tamil Nadu to win the competition.
Under 'Project IRIS' (International Research and
Integration Station), they developed and designed an alternate
habitat for human space settlement. The design won recognition
for its detailed and in-depth representation of life and its
necessities integrated in a space city.
Srivatsan said "the project was relatively easier as
we imagined how life would be in another planet without the
resources that Earth provides."
All basic essentials for sustaining human life - from
food, sanitation, shelter and energy was provided. They also
conceptualised the way of life - administration, governance,
employment, culture and transportation.
"Srivatsan and Vasundhara worked for over three hours
every day, brainstorming and designing this project. My only
contribution was to inform them about the competition I came
across on NASA website," said Manivanan, Srivatsan's father.
While Vasundhara took care of providing food and other
biological aspects, Srivatsan dealt with the technical
details.
The most important aspect of this project was use of
'quantum computers' which formed a crucial part of the space
city and disseminated information to people via indirect
interaction using dead human retina.
The duo worked on the project for less than six months
and plan to participate in the same competition next year.
The Sequoia Middle School team from California, USA,
bagged the first prize.