Andhra Boy Selected For NASA’s Space Programme Needs Funds To Cover His Travel Expenses – News18

It is not every day that you get a chance to be a part of a NASA programme. Well, an Andhra Pradesh student, Jujjuvarapu Charles John, from Vijayawada has been selected for the International Air and Space Programme 2023 which is conducted by NASA. In the programme, around 60 students from around the world, from India only two students have been selected. Charles John is a brilliant student but his family is suffering from the financial crisis which is bounding him to live his dream.

Charles John is an intermediate first-year MPC student who is focused on space research and has always been inspired by the stories of astronauts and their achievements. John is following the blogs of astronauts and appears in online competitions conducted by NASA.

But the selection into the programme also means that Charles John has to travel to the US and his parents don’t have enough money to bear the expenses. They are now looking for support funds to make their son’s dream come true.

His father, Joshua Jujjuvarapu who earlier worked as a daily wager is a preacher now. According to John, he pressured his parents for almost a year to buy him a laptop so that he can continue with the space research work. Speaking with Times Of India John said that through the laptop’s help, he got to know about the International Air and Space Programme and appeared for the online test which was followed by an interview.

He shared that when he appeared for the interview he was nervous and just completed class 10 exams. He was at the time focused on online research on aeronautical engineering.

“I received confirmation and invitation for the space programme scheduled at the US Space Rocket Center located at HuntsVille from November 12 to November 18,” he said. He also expressed his gratitude towards his family for supporting him and shared that this is the first step in his journey to become an astronaut.

Joshua, who is excited for his son, is also concerned about the financial strains and told the publication that his son worked hard to secure a place in the NASA programme. “It is my turn to provide the necessary funds to send him to the US. It will cost around Rs 7 lakh and we will seek the support of donors,” he added.

John’s mother Vani shared that her son is well aware of their financial situation. She also expressed her desire to see him as a scientist and make India proud.