The APOGEE English Press sat down with Utkarsh Dutta, the Astronomy Club (Astro Club) coordinator, to gain insight into the club’s work for the upcoming fest.

Utkarsh shared that the club had planned three major events for the fest. He explained that the Night’s Watch, the club’s signature event, gave attendees the opportunity to visit the otherwise club-exclusive terrace. He said that the club members would calibrate two telescopes to show people celestial wonders—ranging from Saturn’s rings to the Orion Nebula. He further explained that Night’s Watch included mini-events to enhance the stargazing experience. He mentioned that the participants could use binoculars for a closer look at the night sky and a laser display would be used to identify and explain the various constellations. 

Utkarsh then introduced the club’s most anticipated event—a rocket launch called T minus 10. He explained how the rocket had been designed to achieve supersonic speeds and reach an apogee of over two-and-a-half kilometers. He said that the project, which had started last semester, was still underway, with club members actively working on the final touches. Utkarsh noted that given the scale of the project, there were problems regarding funding and the immense workload, but he said that he was optimistic and hoped that everything would come together in the end. However, he said that more would be known about the event once the test launch took place.

He explained that the club’s final event, 42, was a science fiction and astronomy-themed quiz. Unlike its Oasis counterpart, Quizzar, this quiz was tailored specifically for the fest’s more technical audience, with a stronger focus on astrophysics, he said. Commenting on the issues faced, he remarked that recent budget cuts required the club to get creative with the way they sourced the materials. 

On a parting note, he said that everyone he had worked with so far had been pleasant and approachable. He urged everyone to attend various events, particularly the rocket launch saying, ‘If we accomplish our goal of breaking the sound barrier, it will be a remarkable achievement.’

PS. This interview was conducted before the test launch for T minus 10, after which, the rocket launch was deemed cancelled for this edition of APOGEE.