Space Education and Entrepreneurship in Nepal: Current Challenges, Strategies and New Directions

摘要

Space entrepreneurship in Nepal and in any developing country in general with no prior involvement in the space sector has been a massive challenge for private start-up enterprises, established institutions as well as business incubators. With minimal financial and physical resources or public awareness about the benefits of space science and technology to the society, the attempts to attract governmental funding sources and private investors have usually been futile. Underlying this reluctance is the erroneous belief that the industry can have no long-term growth potential, despite it being clearly evident that the world is becoming increasingly dependent on space-based technologies and the benefits gained thereof. On this count and a few others, space education in Nepal hasn't had much success yet. With these in mind. ORION Space - Nepal's first aerospace company was founded in order to promote space education as well the development of space technology in Nepal and beyond. Unlike other mostly theoretical methods used hitherto, the company primarily focuses on Project Based Learning (PBL) methods using CanSats, amateur radio, paper rockets, etc. and aims to bring the broader domain of aerospace engineering within the reach of aspiring young students and adult enthusiasts through hands-on trainings and workshops. At the same time, the company has initiated the development of Nepal's first satellite - a picosatellite named Nepal PQ-1, and is pushing for collaboration with other institutions for development of CubeSat in the near future. This paper discusses the challenges faced by ORION Space in this pioneering venture, the strategies adopted and the possible new directions to get more people involved. The potential for observational research in Nepal, including observational astronomy, and earth observation related applications for the projects currently being earmarked are also discussed. A roadmap is presented for a broader inclusion of space sector into the Nepa