‘Once in a lifetime opportunity’ for West Lafayette middle schooler as she heads to Florida for space adventure

Anahita Rai has dreamed of being an astronaut since she was 5 years old, drawing inspiration from from the first Indian woman to go to space, Kalpana Chawla.

Now, at 11, Rai is one step closer to that goal as a member of the 2024 SpaceKids Press Squad.

“It feels really great that I'm one of eight kids in like the entire nation that gets a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said.

Rai, a West Lafayette 7th grader, will embark on a two-day space adventure in Florida. She will tour the Blue Origin Rocket Park and visit NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, all while learning interview skills from a professional reporter and talking to astronauts. If weather permits, she will also get to see a live rocket launch.

Sharon Hagle, the founder of the nonprofit SpaceKids Global and astronaut, helped create the program for students ages 8-12. She said it can inspire kids to explore STEM opportunities.

“So if we can excite these kids early on by making learning fun again, we can bring the possibility of space to kids everywhere,” she said.

While the date for the rocket launch has yet to be finalized, officials say it could happen this fall.

Rai hopes to take many pictures and share this experience with her peers at home.

Contact WFYI Morning Edition newscaster and reporter Abriana Herron at aherron@wfyi.org.