Carpenter's Daughter, 14, Joins Global Moon Mission

Financial hardship forced 14-year-old Kandula Jessie to switch from private school to a government school in Dowleswaram, Andhra Pradesh. Today, the carpenter's daughter is heading to space science training that could put her work on the Moon.

Jessie has been selected among just 20 students from India for Mission ShakthiSAT, the world's first global all-girls lunar CubeSat mission. Nearly 12,000 girls from 108 countries applied for the program, making her achievement truly remarkable.

Her journey started in her school's Atal Tinkering Lab, where physical science teacher Manimala noticed something special. The teacher saw Jessie's natural curiosity about science and innovation, and encouraged her to apply for the international space program.

Jessie was so inspired that she convinced eight classmates to register too. When they missed the deadline, Manimala personally contacted program coordinators and secured them a second chance.

Preparing for the mission meant learning far beyond typical tenth-grade coursework. Every day after school, Jessie attended online sessions covering satellite systems, propulsion, thermodynamics, and mission operations across 550 lessons in 21 modules.

The selection process included a one-hour interview with international scientists conducted entirely in English. For a government school student, this felt overwhelming, but Jessie worked with teachers and watched educational videos to improve her communication skills.

"I was nervous speaking to international scientists," she told The Times of India. "I never expected a government school student like me would get selected."

Her parents, carpenter Kandula Rambabu and his wife Aruna, could not afford expensive education. What they gave Jessie was something equally powerful: permission to dream big.

Why This Inspires

Jessie's mother described watching her daughter confidently interact with international scientists as one of the proudest moments of their lives. A financial decision that felt like closing doors actually opened new ones neither parent could have imagined.

Her story proves that talent and determination matter more than tuition fees. A dedicated teacher who noticed potential, parents who never stopped believing, and a teenager who refused to quit when concepts got difficult created an opportunity that money alone could never buy.

Starting August 23, Jessie will travel to New Delhi for intensive satellite training. There, she'll work alongside scientists on satellite design and mission operations for the student-built lunar CubeSat, scheduled to launch from Sriharikota later this year.

The girl who had to leave private school because her family couldn't afford it is now preparing to contribute to a mission that reaches for the Moon.