Congratulations and thanks to all who participated in the SSS-PG Essay Competition 2020.

SGAC is pleased to announce Antonio Stark as the winner of the SSS Essay Competition 2020.  

Antonio Stark (KangSan Kim) (South Korea) 

1st place 

“I’m deeply humbled and honored to have received this prize. Space Sustainability is a topic close to my heart as I work with multiple actors across the space spectrum. Ensuring sustainable use of orbits and other space resources is not only crucial for the long-term development of humankind, but also for the equitable use and exploration of our universe. I wish this essay bring a few more people to think about space sustainability.”

Antonio Fowl Stark (KangSan Kim) is an international business developer and space policy consultant currently based out of South Korea. He serves as the Asia-Pacific Regional Partnerships Manager for SGAC, connecting governments, companies, and academia across the region for the common goal of youth development for space exploration. He also serves in the Conrad Foundation as an Alumni Leadership Council member, and his past positions include the World Federation of United Nations Associations, World Space Week Association, the National Space Society, and Softbank Ventures. He has been spotted hiking up the Himalayas and on expeditions in the Arctic Circle. Antonio loves to connect to genuine souls, share adventures, and go scuba diving. You can find Antonio on Instagram @antoniofstark.

Yasha Kaushal (India) 

2nd place 

“It is an honor to receive the SSS-PG Essay Competition 2020 Scholarship. This is a great opportunity for all space enthusiasts to contribute to solve various global space exploration issues, to influence the science community and to create awareness through their innovative ideas and powerful writing. I would like to thank  the entire SGAC team for their time and efforts toward this and I look forward to be a part of it.”

Yasha Kaushal is an astrophysicist and a childhood space enthusiast. She has a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from NIT-Bhopal, India and is currently working as a third year Graduate Student Researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, USA studying the dynamics and evolution of early universe galaxies. During her under graduation, she served as the Executive Student Head of the Aero-Astro Club and organized various Astronomy Seminars, Sky-Gazing events, Hands-on telescope sessions in collaboration with ARIES, Nainital and Space Quizzes in Techfests. She was also in the organizing team of SGAC 2-day International Conference ‘Space-Up India 2013’ held in collaboration with IISER- Bhopal and DHRUVA Space. Brought up watching Neil
deGrasse Tyson’s talks and reading Stephen Hawking’s books, her curiosity and passion for astronomy motivated her to pursue PhD in Astrophysics. She is also serving as a Society of Physics Students (SPS) Mentor as part of Women and Minorities in Physics initiative in her department mentoring three undergraduate students and was also appointed as the Outreach Coordinator for the same group last month. She was recognized with Thomas-Lain Scholarship Award last year for best essay writing on quantum measurement problem. She believes that space exploration helps to address fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and addressing its challenges needs an international collaborative effort and awareness.

 

Simon Kohlhase (Germany) 

3rd place 

I feel honored to be awarded third place in the SGAC Essay Competition. Thank you to the organization team, judges and sponsors for this opportunity!

Simon Kohlhase is an interdisciplinary engineer and final-year student in the Master’s program Politics & Technology at the Technical University Munich (TUM). While earning his B.Sc. in Engineering Science at TUM, he discovered his passion for space working at Airbus on the Copernicus mission Sentinel-4, an earth observation instrument payload scheduled for launch in 2022. From working there he became interested in conducting research on the use of space for sustainable development, as well as Space Policy. Apart from his home country Germany, Simon has lived in the U.S., Argentina and Japan, and is fluent in four languages. He is planning to graduate during fall 2021 and looking forward to starting an exciting career in the Space Sector.

 

4th – 10th place

4. Mclee Kerolle (USA)
5. Victor Guivarch (France)
6. Bruce Clarke (UK)
7.  Marianne Ong (Philippines)
8. Dharshun Sridharan (Australia)
9. Palaniappan S (India)
10. Jamil Castillo (USA)

 

 

We appreciate the time and effort of every applicant to the competition. We hope you will continue to engage in the activities of SGAC and its project groups by applying for future competitions and scholarships.