Hyderabad students take CubeSat mission to orbit with BlueBlocks and TakeMe2Space
BlueBlocks Montessori School in Hyderabad, India, has teamed up with aerospace education company TakeMe2Space to launch a CubeSat mission led by students aged 12 to 15.
A CubeSat is a type of miniaturized satellite typically used for space research and educational purposes, designed to be cost-effective and compatible with standardized launch systems.
The initiative marks one of the youngest CubeSat development teams in the country and aligns with India’s push to develop homegrown space talent through policies such as the National Education Policy 2020.
The project will see students design, assemble, and analyze scientific payloads ahead of a scheduled launch by an Indian launch provider in 2025.
CubeSat mission to integrate classroom learning and research
The satellite payload includes six onboard sensors, an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, radiation sensor, Geiger counter, and spectrometer, allowing students to carry out experiments related to orbital stabilization, space radiation, climate monitoring, and biomimicry in aerospace design.
The program is embedded within the Cambridge curriculum for Grades 7–10 and forms part of BlueBlocks' Innovation Program, which also includes labs focused on drones, biomimicry, and space systems.
Pavan Goyal, Founder of BlueBlocks Montessori, said: “We're not just teaching students about space—we're giving them space. This mission allows adolescents to be researchers, designers, and scientists—today, not someday.”
Project-based learning
The CubeSat initiative introducES real-time engineering tasks, data analysis, and problem-solving. Students will be responsible for designing and conducting experiments, building hardware, and processing the data returned from orbit.
Munira Hussain, Co-founder of BlueBlocks, said: “This mission is not just about sending a satellite to space—it's about helping children find their place in the universe. When adolescents are trusted with real responsibility, they rise to it. This project is a reflection of what they are truly capable of.”
Industry support for student-built satellites
TakeMe2Space, which specializes in student-led space missions, will provide technical guidance on payload integration, satellite design, and mission operations. The organization works to make space-related research more accessible to younger audiences through mentorship and launch facilitation.
Anand Rajagopalan, EVP of TakeMe2Space, said: “When children realize they can send an object into orbit, it changes their perspective on what's possible.”
Plans for future missions
BlueBlocks intends to make the CubeSat project an annual program, with future student-led launches contributing to both education and applied research in areas such as climate science and materials engineering. The school has previously collaborated with institutions such as IIT Hyderabad and presented at the AMI Congress in Thailand.
