In a government school in Purulia, a group of students stare wide-eyed at a projection of the Moon’s South Pole. The workshop is part of LIFE-To & Beyond Foundation’s Beyonder’s Space Club Bangla, which has been taking astronomy sessions to rural and tribal schools across West Bengal.

For many of these children, it’s their first close look at the craters they’d only seen on TV after India’s Chandrayaan-3 landing. “The interest in space and astronomy has skyrocketed in India, not only among students and the public from Tier 1 cities but also in Tier 2, Tier 3, and rural regions,” says founder Sibsankar Palit.

While Chandrayaan-3 ignited the spark among students that they too can contribute to space exploration in and from India, missions like Gaganyaan and Bharatiya Antariksh Station are

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