ABOUT US

Students for the Exploration and Development of Space or SEDS, for short, is a non –profit, independent student-based international organization which, true to our namesake, is dedicated to expand our role in development and exploration of space. SEDS-India, with its headquarters at VIT University, is the governing body of SEDS in India. It was started in 2004 at PIIT, Mumbai by Mr. Pradeep Mohandas and Mr. Abhishek Ray. SEDS India is run by students, with chapters in VIT University (Headquarters), VELTECH Engineering College, SASTRA University, BITS Goa,Rajalakshmi Engineering College, and Kumaraguru College of technology and many more. Each chapter is responsible for making the vast concept of space widely acceptable among the young minds, with a vision to expand the frontiers of space exploration. Space, being the vast entity it is, holds so much that is yet to be discovered. The resources are infinite. This knowledge has to be spread across the nation. The fastest way is to enlighten the bright minds of today to ensure a safe tomorrow.

We at SEDS India have three divisions working in three directions: Core, Outreach and Projects.

CORE: One of the chapter’s main objectives is to generate interest by, educating people about the infinite possibilities of space, supporting a network of interested students. This is achieved through various seminars, conferences, and hosting workshops. The Core directly interacts with the students regarding various aspects of space. It is responsible for regularizing and organizing such events on mainstream ideas about space. The organization has also garnered quite the attention among students.
OUTREACH: The Outreach is responsible for organizing sessions in various schools forming space clubs as part of the "OneSpace" initiative where the kids are taught about basics regarding space starting with why astronomy is important to us till the big bang theory. It covers all the myriad topics which are taught keeping the age and prior knowledge of children in mind. The presenters are also a group of SEDS members who are also space enthusiasts.

PROJECTS: Projects Team try to explore various viable possibilities in the field of space and turn them into pursuable projects and research. The teams participate in different competitions such as ERC (European Rover Challenge), where rovers are built to withstand the harsh surfaces and circumstances on Mars and CANSAT, where a typical aerospace system is built, but in a comparatively smaller scale. The teams are also recognized for the projects and research work they take up individually or as part of reputed research institutes in the country.

The SEDS members are passionate about the development and exploration of space. Learner-centric ideal system is provided where the opportunities to expand the radius of knowledge by various sources such as news updates, speakers to name a few are common in all chapters. SEDS India has tried to expand its reach by grasping various opportunities to expand our knowledge by interacting with people from the space community and also spreading awareness about development of space in schools as well as universities. The Permanent Trustee of SEDS India is Dr. Geetha Manivasagam, Professor, VIT University. The advisory panel has various accomplished dignitaries on its board, including the Associate Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Center. SEDS provides a platform for students to improve their knowledge base, skill set and hands on experience and has also been a breather to escape from the routine.