Science TechnologySaturday, 11 July 2026·The Hindu - Science
Madurai student’s bacteria-powered Mars energy project selected for NASA’s Cubes in Space 2026
A Class XII student from Madurai was selected for NASA-supported Cubes in Space 2026 for a bacteria-based electricity project using Martian regolith analogue.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In 2026, Akilesh Chandrasekaran of Sivakasi Nadar Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Madurai was selected for the Cubes in Space™ 2026 programme after demonstrating that cultured bacteria can generate electricity using a Martian regolith analogue.
Key specifics
- The programme is Cubes in Space™ 2026, supported by NASA Wallops Flight Facility and the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility.
- Akilesh’s module will fly in a 4 cm cube on August 21.
- He used Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, described as a gram-negative exoelectrogen.
- The project addresses the fact that an astronaut generates 4.5 litres of waste water in a day.
- He had earlier won a Gold Medal and two Special Awards at the International Warsaw Invention Show (IWIS) 2021 in Poland.
Exam lens
Question type: science and space technology. TNPSC may ask about Cubes in Space 2026, NASA Wallops, the 4 cm cube, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, and the 4.5-litre waste-water figure.