The SpaceLab program at Singapore American School provides our students with the opportunity to research, design, and build an experiment to be sent to the International Space Station (ISS). This year, selected 12 students have decided to design and build an experiment involving the cultivation of mycelium that can degrade plastic in a microgravity environment. The team's experiment is scheduled to be run for one month on the ISS in spring 2024. Here's your chance to get to know our 2023–24 SpaceLab team members! 

Aarna, a junior, is one of the co-captains for SpaceLab this year. She’s been interested in the STEM field since middle school, and has since been exploring her interests through clubs like Geek Girls and robotics. Being in Geek Girls, she advocates for more female participation in STEM classes and activities at SAS with her goal being to eventually reach the “equilibrium” of sexes in all areas of STEM. In SpaceLab, she mainly works in the electrical and experiment/research department. In her free time, she can be found shooting arrows at a 60 to 70 meter range!

Ian is currently a senior at SAS and is one of this year’s co-captains. He works primarily in the software and experimental branches of the SpaceLab 2023–24 team. His primary contributions to the team involve creating code for the capsule, preparing agar and fungal spores for growth and ideating this year’s experiment. Ian's fascination with space exploration and pushing the technological bounds of mankind drives his commitment to the SpaceLab project. He is grateful for this unique opportunity to make a small dent in the rapidly expanding field that is space technology.

Joseph, a senior at SAS, is the lead of the outreach and experimental team of SpaceLab 2023–24. His main contributions include NASA documentations, research, and bio experimentation with microspora. He is a passionate researcher with high interest in STEM and social sciences. He is grateful for this opportunity of designing an experiment to the International Space Station and is excited to be contributing to the field of Space Exploration. Outside of Spacelab, he is involved in Student Government, Quest, Public Policy and Civic Action Club, and drama.

Rahul is a "Big Friendly Giant" whose main passions are physics and sports. He often tutors others through Science National Honor Society and participates in varsity volleyball and basketball. In addition to taking all physics courses available, he has coded for three years in Javascript, Java, vPython, and c#. In SpaceLab, he is the backbone of electronics development: he has been teaching members circuit theory, creating the initial schematics, and figuring out the specifications for all electrical components. Additionally, he has kickstarted software development by setting up the IDE used for creating and uploading code.

Vyju, a junior at Singapore American School, has been passionate about STEM since middle school. She has explored her interests by participating in various science and engineering communities inside and outside of SAS. She has experience with Arduino C, C++, Python, and Java. She has the honor of serving as the Software Lead of the 2023–24 SpaceLab team. She also aids with experimentation inside the lab. Outside of school, she can be seen reading, studying, and listening to music.

Sohrab, a tenth grade student at SAS, serves as the mechanical team lead. His primary focus involves contributing to CAD work for the capsule and the experiment, demonstrating proficiency in Fusion 360 for 3D printing. Alongside his technical skills, Sohrab also brings a foundational understanding of bio-lab techniques, enhancing our team's overall experimental capabilities.

 

Andrea is a senior who is passionate about STEM. With experience in MATE robotics, she uses her mechanical and design knowledge to contribute to the team. She has extensive experience with Fusion 360 to do Computer-Aided Design, which she uses to both model existing parts and create new ones. As for the other branches of STEM, she’s actively involved in the science and math communities at SAS. 
 

Anthony is currently a junior at SAS who is deeply passionate about SpaceLab. His fascination with space began at a young age, with the common dream of becoming an astronaut. Later on though, his interest in space began to shift to the scientific side. SpaceLab seemed almost like a perfect fit, providing the opportunity to design and conduct an experiment on the ISS. He is a member of the software team, with years of experience in programming in a variety of languages including C and Python.

Daniel, an eleventh grade student, is part of the SpaceLab mechanical team. With plenty of experience in robotics competitions such as FRC, and MATE, he brings creative designs and analytical problem-solving to the team. His expertise in CAD and fabrication allows him to work efficiently in the design and mechanical department. Deeply involved in the STEM community at Singapore American School, Daniel's passion for science and technology started at a young age with math and grew to include chemistry and physics. When he is not doing something STEM-related, he can be found playing basketball and listening to music.

Born and raised in Singapore, Emilie has attended SAS since third grade and is now a junior in the mechanical department of SpaceLab. Her interest in astronomy and engineering stemmed from her childhood, where she spent a good chunk of her time watching Mark Rober and alien documentaries. SpaceLab has taught her about the ins and outs of computer-aided design and simultaneously furthered her interest in space technology. Outside of SpaceLab, she enjoys making art, reading, and curating Spotify playlists.

Evelyn, a sophomore at SAS, works in the outreach and communication department of SpaceLab team 2023–24. She also helps in various aspects such as documentation, research, and experimentation. She is interested in STEM-related projects and chose to join the SpaceLab team to discover more topics in science. Apart from STEM, she also likes crafting, arts, and various random topics.
 

Naman, a junior at SAS, is a member of the electrical department of SpaceLab. He lived most of his childhood in Mumbai, India, where he fostered a keen interest in physics and astronomy. Naman also works with an aerospace company called Skyroot Aerospace, contributing to the expansion of India’s space industry. He is also an extremely passionate musician, playing four instruments with his piano experience at diploma level. He’s part of the IASAS piano team, keyboardist/auxiliary percussionist for the jazz improv ensemble, and holds many leadership positions in the music community at SAS.