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Kerala’s science festival features US Pavilion
The U.S. pavilion encompasses exhibits on environment, space sciences, and extraterrestrial intelligence
NASA-JPL scientists (from left) Kyle C. McDonald; Paul A. Rosen; Andrea Donnellan; Cathleen Jones; and Seung-bum Kim at the Global Science Festival Kerala / Image - US Embassy
The U.S. Consulate General Chennai, an integral part of South India's academic and cultural landscape for the past 76 years, collaborated with the Government of Kerala to co-host a U.S. pavilion at the inaugural Global Science Festival Kerala (GSFK).
The month-long festival is taking place at the Bio 360 Life Sciences Park in Thonnakkal, Thiruvananthapuram. Participants have the opportunity to attend science lectures by top National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists, explore exhibits, and access in-demand educational resources.
The U.S. pavilion displays exhibits on environment, space sciences, and extraterrestrial intelligence, featuring collaborations with NASA and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Labs.
A series of science talks by five NASA scientists, who are also part of the esteemed NASA-Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Synthetic Aperture Radar Mission (NISAR) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) were hosted at the pavilion. The scientists delivered lectures on the NASA-ISRO Earth-observing mission, which is preparing for its highly anticipated launch in early 2024.
“It was a pleasure to be able to describe the exciting science and applications of the NISAR Mission at the Global Science Festival Kerala. NISAR is the largest space collaboration between NASA and ISRO so far,” said NASA/JPL project scientist Paul Rosen.
“The NISAR observatory has two powerful imaging radar instruments, one built by ISRO to operate at a shorter radar wavelength, and another built by NASA to operate at a longer wavelength,” he added.
Rosen explained that the first-of-a-kind system will tackle some of the most pressing problems in Earth Science, including understanding climate change and its consequences. “Radar also can see through clouds, so it is perfect for making reliable measurements for a broad range of applications, from forest management to flood mapping and monitoring. This is a truly enabling partnership between the United States and India, and it is an honor to be a part of it,” the scientist noted.
U.S. Consulate General Chennai Spokesperson Samantha Jackson expressed happiness over partnering with the Government of Kerala at the Global Science Festival Kerala. “Our U.S. Pavilion, featuring NASA JPL scientists, is an example of our U.S.-India space diplomacy ties,” she added.
She further noted that science and technology cooperation promotes economic growth and allows the two sides to develop new and innovative technologies and products to address shared challenges. “We understand science, technology, and innovation are key tools to address global challenges such as climate change, health, education, food, water, and energy security,” Jackson noted.
To emphasize the significance of education in the fields of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM) the pavilion highlights exchange opportunities in America. It also features resources and exclusive programming for patrons, including students, experts, researchers, and faculty.
GSFK, which commenced on January 15, is scheduled to conclude on February 15, 2024.
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