The APOGEE English Press sat down with the coordinator of the Astronomy Club (Astro Club), Arnav Gupta, to learn more about the work done by the club for the fest.

Arnav mentioned that the Astro club is an enthusiast and hobbyist club where most members have an interest in Astronomy. As is APOGEE tradition, the Astro Club will hold a lot of quizzes this year. Arnav revealed that the club will be introducing new events for this edition of APOGEE such as T-10, which is advertised as the real-life launch of a miniature rocket at the Gym Grounds.

Arnav explained that ‘42’, a quiz based on astronomy and astrophysics, was a legacy event for their club. Arnav mentioned that the club would be conducting a space mission simulation competition along with a workshop on the same topic. Additionally, Arnav stated that the club would also be organizing ‘Astro Pixel’, an astronomical photography competition. This event would be open to all fest attendees and will be conducted online.

Arnav mentioned that the preparations for the ‘T-10’ event began back in early January, as they had to develop the rocket from scratch. According to him, the club had designed and constructed all of the components of the rocket themselves, including the highly technical components like the solid motor rocket engine. 

When asked about the challenges faced by the club, Arnav revealed that they had faced most of their challenges in the preparation for the ‘T-10’ event. It was the first time the club was managing logistics for an event. Arnav explained that the club faced a challenge with the procurement of 3D printouts for the rocket’s components. He said that this was ultimately resolved by having to procure the components at a higher rate from an external vendor. He stated that another major issue they were facing was not being able to implement their ‘star-gazing’ at night event this year due to the renovation of FD-3.

When asked about the evolution of the club, Arnav mentioned that there had been a shift in culture amongst his junior batches. He believed that the bonding among members of the club had improved owing to the tough situations that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. He believes that the club is progressing by returning to its roots.

Arnav also mentioned that when the club is not busy working for the fests, they usually hold presentation nights, have insightful group discussions about topics of Astronomy, and sometimes go up to the terrace and stargaze with their telescopes.

Arnav talked about his experience as a coordinator, describing it as ‘quite fun’. He mentioned that he had already been the coordinator of the Photography Club, so he already had experience in getting work done and dealing with other clubs, departments, and the CoStAA. He further added that his experience as the coordinator of Astro Club was quite fun as the members of Astro Club were quite vested in their work. The Club’s president and secretary were also very supportive and were always at his side, ready to provide him with whatever he needed anytime.

Finally, when asked about his message to the general BITSian reading this article, Arnav cheekily acknowledged that he knew he had placed a lot of emphasis on ‘T-10’; however, this was due to the fact that the club had put in a lot of effort and had worked very hard. He urged everyone to witness the launching of a rocket live on the second day of APOGEE and wished for the success of the events and the fest.