The Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) is the world's largest student-based space organization, engaging high-school students, undergraduates, and post-graduates in space-themed engineering projects internationally.
Day-Scholar Vishal Perera of Intake 37, Aeronautical Engineering was appointed as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of SEDS Sri Lanka (SEDS SL) for the Term 2024/25. He was the Co-founder and President of SEDS KDU, initiated in January 2023.
SEDS SL is home to over 7,000 members from 16 Sri Lankan Universities and Schools nation-wide providing students with a platform:
- To educate themselves on specific fields pertaining to Space Science
- To network with multi-disciplinary space enthusiasts and industry professionals and
- To participate in space-themed conferences and competitions, locally and globally.
SEDS SL's current focus lies on Taprobane: Sri Lanka's first Martian Rover. The rover was designed and engineered to participate in the world-renowned European Rover Challenge (ERC). Tabrobane v3.0 was placed 16th based on Technical Reports in the ERC, 2022. In its latest edition, Taprobane v4.0, the rover managed to secure 5th place in the ERC Remote Qualification (A) Round.
Few other engineering initiatives of SEDS SL open to collaboration include building high-altitude weather balloons, model rockets, cube satellites, solar-powered boats and miniature labs for underwater monitoring and research. The above initiatives will also look forward to participating in global competitions as well.
Within the span of the next twelve months, SEDS SL prepares to host two national events which will see its winners take center-stage, internationally: the NASA Space Apps Challenge and Gravity Games.
We congratulate the newly appointed Board of Directors and wish them success in leading the nation’s education and engineering efforts in the field of Space Exploration.
