Space Is Closer Than It Seems: An Ashgabat Schoolgirl Shares Her Knowledge After a Program in India
A few months ago, we told you about Elif Gylyjova, a schoolgirl who participated in the international Mission ShakthiSAT program and traveled to India to learn about space technologies alongside girls from various countries. At the time, the trip itself seemed like the main event—a first encounter with an international community, sessions with experts, and a chance to get a firsthand look at the world of space.
But stories like this have a unique quality: sometimes, the most interesting part begins only after returning home.
Upon returning to Ashgabat, Elif brought back more than just new impressions and knowledge. Recently, she joined Maral Rejepova — the Mission ShakthiSAT ambassador in Turkmenistan—at an information session titled "Satellite Systems & Space Technology" held at the Bilelik Hub, where she shared what she had learned about satellites during the program with others.
The more I listened to them, the more I realized that the outcome of such programs is measured by more than just the number of modules completed, a certificate, or photos from a foreign country. Sometimes, the most significant result lies in a simple transformation: a child who was learning by listening just yesterday is now teaching others by sharing what they know. That is exactly what happened with Elif, who is now sharing her knowledge.
It began as a global online project bringing together girls from 108 countries. Then, in August, Elif traveled to India for an in-person event attended by representatives from around 70 nations. There, she learned from experts, explored satellite technologies, and assembled and disassembled a satellite model with her own hands. Yet, perhaps the most important moment came a little later—when the knowledge she had gained ceased to be merely a personal experience.
For Elif, it all began with a message from Maral Khezretgulyevna, who told the girls about the project. Later, Elif saw posts announcing the competition and decided to take part in the selection process. And when the email with the results arrived in her Gmail inbox, she couldn't believe her eyes at first.
-I reread the email in Gmail several times just to be sure, she says.
That is a perfectly understandable reaction for a schoolgirl suddenly discovering she is about to join an international space program. But for Elif, the trip to India was about more than just the journey or the chance to meet peers from other countries.
The practical phase of Mission ShakthiSAT took place at Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida from August 23 to 31. The participants moved from online classes to hands-on engagement with space engineering, technical systems, and industry professionals.
It was precisely this transition—from theory to practice—that proved to be one of the program’s key outcomes. Elif had already studied many of these topics in her coursework before going to India, but she says that in India, that same knowledge took on a whole new dimension.
The experts provided in-depth explanations of the material, but the highlight for her was the hands-on session, where the participants themselves disassembled and reassembled an exact replica of a satellite. She was particularly struck by the fact that the girls were speaking directly with the specialists who had actually developed such systems.
This is a crucial point.
It is one thing to read about a satellite in a textbook. It is something else entirely to hold the structure in your hands, figure out its components and the purpose of each element, and ask questions of a professional in the field.
In our previous articleabout Elif’s trip to India, we covered these hands-on sessions—including a workshop on satellite thermal systems, where the students learned about temperature control technologies for spacecraft.
Now, Elif herself sums up the main takeaway much more simply:
-I realized that space is much closer than we think.
And therein, it seems, lies one of the key values of Mission ShakthiSAT.
Space ceases to be the exclusive domain of astrophysicists, astronauts, and specialists with years of university education. A child gets the chance to see that the first step can be taken right now.
You don’t need to know everything from the start. You don’t need to be a professor. You don’t need to wait until you finish school. You can begin with a question, a study module, a competition, an experiment, or a first attempt to understand how a CubeSat works.
There is another idea in the ShakthiSAT story that, in my view, deserves special attention.
The program team constantly reminded the participants: “Space is peace”
For Elif, this idea became part of the program experience: space technologies should be used to help humanity and foster peace on Earth. This is particularly interesting given the very nature of the international project.
108 countries mean 108 national histories, languages, and cultures. Yet, during the program, the girls found themselves in the same laboratory, studying the same technologies, working together, and discussing a shared objective.
This creates a unique paradox: to talk about space, the participants first had to learn how to be part of an international community. That is why such projects offer students far more than just a set of technical skills.
Maral Rejepova, the Mission ShakthiSAT ambassador for Turkmenistan who accompanied Elif on the trip to India, highlights this very aspect of the international experience. A particularly memorable moment for her was the meeting of ambassadors, mentors, and program supervisors at India’s Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Participants were given the opportunity to represent their countries and speak about their involvement in the project. Maral Rejepova proudly represented Turkmenistan.
Cultural exchange was another important part of the program. Elif prepared a performance featuring the Kushtdepdi, a traditional dance. She carefully curated her entire look for the occasion—traditional attire, jewelry, a takhya (traditional headdress), and her hair styled in two braids.
Yet, the audience's reaction proved even more significant than the costume itself. After the performance, participants from various countries approached Elif to take photos with her and ask questions about Turkmenistan.
I believe this, too, is an aspect of STEM education that is sometimes overlooked. You might have an excellent grasp of physics and technology and successfully pass an international selection process; however, when representing your country, you simultaneously become a cultural ambassador. Elif represented Turkmenistan not only through her knowledge but also through her dance, her openness, and her interactions with the other participants.
For Maral Rejepova, this trip marked her first visit to India. For about ten days, the participants hardly ever left the Gautam Buddha University campus, where classes, lectures, and meetings took place. During this time, she grew accustomed to the hot, humid weather, marveled at the abundant greenery, and was particularly struck by the hospitality and openness of the people.
The tenth day of the program proved to be especially eventful. The organizers of Mission ShakthiSAT arranged a trip to the Taj Mahal for the participants. Everyone rose very early, and several buses set off on the journey. In total, the participants traveled in four buses and did not return to the hotel until after midnight.
-It was very hot and we were exhausted, but we came away with so many impressions, says Maral.
Fatigue after such an action-packed day was inevitable, but as Maral notes, the experience made it all worthwhile. The Taj Mahal served as a beautiful finale to the trip to India, yet for her, the most significant aspect wasn't just what she saw, but the realization of the project's sheer scale.
Maral says that her own plans haven't changed drastically following Mission ShakthiSAT; she has already been working with international Olympiads and educational programs for schoolchildren for several years. However, her perception of what is possible on a grand scale has shifted.
When you witness a project that first united participants from 108 countries online and then brought representatives from around 70 nations together for an in-person event in India, the word "scale" takes on a whole new meaning.
After Mission ShakthiSAT, Elif became even more eager to pursue space technology. While she was interested in technology in general before the program, her goal is now quite specific: a career in space technology development.
Maral Rejepova highlights another aspect of such projects: they help students become more independent and confident, teaching them how to work in teams, interact with people from different countries, and overcome language and cultural barriers.
It is hard to disagree with this. School provides fundamental knowledge, but sometimes a child needs a completely different kind of experience—finding themselves among strangers, representing their country, asking an expert a question, speaking before an audience, or solving a practical problem. And then, suddenly, realizing: "I can do this."
Maral Rejepova considers it particularly important that such opportunities for schoolchildren are increasing today. Moreover, this is not just about international trips; participation in academic competitions, educational projects, clubs, contests, and social initiatives also takes a child beyond the confines of the standard school environment.
This brings us back to that meeting at the Bilelik Hub in Ashgabat. Elif decided to organize it because she wanted to advance space technologies in Turkmenistan, and the conversation centered on CubeSats. She explained the standard CubeSat specifications and shared the fundamental knowledge she had gained during the Mission ShakthiSAT project.
The audience was small but engaged. Yet, the size of the audience isn't the most important thing here. What matters far more is the shift in Elif’s own role. In India, she had been a participant, listening to ISRO specialists and learning from satellite engineers. In Ashgabat, she was the one sharing what she had learned with others.
This doesn't mean the 15-year-old student had suddenly become a space engineering specialist. She made no attempt to portray herself as an expert; she simply shared the knowledge she had gained. And that is precisely how true education begins—when the knowledge you acquire doesn't stop with you.
What remains after the trip?
When discussing international programs for students, it is easy to focus on the surface-level aspects: the travel, new countries, photos, meetings with famous people, certificates, and networking. Yet, beneath all that lies a far more significant outcome: the child returns home with a transformed perception of their own potential.
Elif says that during the program, she realized: "Anything is possible." It sounds simple—perhaps even too simple. But when that realization comes after a girl from Turkmenistan finds herself among participants from dozens of countries, works with a satellite model, learns from experts, shares her culture, and then takes the stage before an audience in Ashgabat, it is backed by genuine personal experience. And personal experience is often far more convincing than any motivational words.
Today, Elif is just beginning her journey. We do not know whether she will become an engineer, a programmer, or a space systems specialist, or if she will choose a completely different path.
The value of Mission ShakthiSAT lies not in deciding on a career at the age of fifteen. Its value lies in showing a teenager as many open doors as possible before they choose which one to walk through.
And if, after one of these programs, a schoolgirl looks up at the night sky and thinks not only about distant stars but also about how she might one day create the technologies to study them—then the journey truly continues.
That, perhaps, is the real result. It is not the fact of the trip to India itself, but the return home with a much broader vision of what might lie ahead.
Maya Annaeva
Reaching for the stars: the story of a 15-year-old girl from Turkmenistan
From theory to space: how the international stage of Mission ShakthiSAT is unfolding in India
