In 1977 AD, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands visited Tiger Tops Hotel in Chitwan to attend the WWF-1001 Club program, coordinated by then-Crown Prince Gyanendra Shah.During that visit, King Birendra was shown the dire condition of the Chepang community. When a Chepang leader said, “Your Majesty, we are your subjects (Praja),” the King agreed. That same year, a grand Chepang conference was held for the first time in Jyamire, Makwanpur district. Princess Princep Shah, then the central president of the Nepal Red Cross Society, declared, “From today, you are not Chepang; you are Praja (subjects).’
The Panchayat government introduced the “Praja Development Program” that year. After that, Chepangs started writing ‘Praja’ as their surname. However, after the restoration of multiparty democracy, fearing the loss of their identity, they reverted to using ‘Chepang’.
When King Birendra visited them, the Chepangs were highly self-reliant in their lifestyle—hunting in forests, farming on steep land, catching fish and bats, surviving on roots and tubers, and struggling with malnutrition, hunting, and child marriage.
Even today, the Chepang community’s condition has not drastically changed, although life has become somewhat easier. For the past two generations, they have been building homes using bricks, wood, and corrugated sheets. They have shifted from hunting to agriculture and other professions. Yet, about 90% of the Chepang community still lives below the poverty line, with an annual income of less than 10,000 rupees.
Despite these hardships, Chepang students are now starting to write a new chapter in history through education and technology. They are helping build Nepal’s third cube satellite to be launched into space. Students currently studying in grades 7 and 8 are deeply engaged in satellite construction, led by Dr. Abhas Maskey, the creator of NepaliSat-1 and head of Antarikshya Pratisthan Nepal(APN).
The mission carries the theme “Slipper to Satellite”—a journey of a community that once struggled to afford even a pair of slippers, now reaching for the stars. The satellite built by Chepang students will orbit the Earth this year. The plan is to develop a 1U model CubeSat while empowering students with technology skills. Over the next three years, students will receive free education alongside satellite-building experience. Six engineers from APN are working on the design and development of the satellite mission, and they are also training the students.
Under Dr. Maskey’s “Vision 2050,” the goal is to send Nepal’s first astronaut into space by 2050. He is spreading knowledge of space technology at the school level. As part of this campaign, 10 students from Chepang communities in Chitwan, Makwanpur, and Lamjung are busy building satellites. Once used to carrying hunted prey in traditional baskets (Jabi), now Chepang children are carrying books—and soon, a satellite that will orbit the world.
The satellite mission initiated by APN aims to uplift and inspire marginalized, impoverished, and indigenous communities through education.
From Space Labs to Space Flight
In 2023, Dr. Maskey’s team organized four-day workshops on “Radio and Satellite Technology” at different schools in Lamjung, Makwanpur, and Chitwan. Based on student interest and ability, 10 students were selected, according to Pratisthan’s engineer Rishav Adhikari. A Space Systems Laboratory (SSL) was established at Navodaya School to train students in satellite building.
The satellite is scheduled for launch within 2025–26 AD. Another goal of this mission is to design and develop amateur radio-operated CubeSats domestically, according to mission manager Adhikari.
This satellite will be Nepal’s third CubeSat. Designed in Nepal, it will use an in-house “satellite bus” system where the electrical power system (EPS), onboard computer (OBC), and communication system are integrated onto a single printed circuit board (PCB). Incorporating advanced versions of the technologies used in NepaliSat-1 and MunalSat, this design ensures more space within the CubeSat for additional missions.
The “Slipper to Satellite” mission is expected to assist in transmitting critical data during natural disasters. The satellite also includes a “Digipeater Mission”—it will re-transmit signals broadcast by radio waves globally. Mentor Kriti Dahal explained that the satellite will also help build a database of Earth’s water surfaces using infrared and RGB cameras. Using these cameras, students will calculate the “Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI)” to map water sources.
Moreover, the satellite will aid in seismic studies. A “Boomless Magnetometer,” consisting of four magnetic sensors called “Quad-Mag,” is installed to detect subtle variations in Earth’s magnetic field. These sensors can capture Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) and Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) waves, whose data may be useful in earthquake prediction. The satellite includes communication systems, camera missions, control systems, electric power systems, and onboard computer systems.
Students like Shivkumar Chepang, Sajina Chepang, Suhan Praja, Elisa Chepang, Binamaya Praja, Ranasinh Chepang, Sheetal Praja, and Amrit Chepang are involved in the satellite project. When contacting Amit Praja, who just completed his SEE exams, his sister Kalpana answered the phone and expressed disbelief that her brother was building a satellite. She said their family never imagined Amit could be capable of such a thing.
Under the “Vision 2050” program, training programs on space science and technology are being conducted in various schools and colleges across Nepal.
How Did Chepang Students Reach the Space Mission?
Chepang researcher Bishwas Chepang, currently pursuing an MPhil at Kathmandu University, inspired Dr. Maskey. Bishwas said, “I saw how Dr. Abhas involved students in the Munal Satellite mission. I suggested that it would send a powerful message if he engaged Chepang children in satellite building too.”
The news that “Chepang students built a satellite” is spreading a powerful message in society. It shows that given opportunity and a platform, hidden talents can flourish. “If provided basic education, Chepangs can excel,” says Bishwas. “If King Birendra, who once saw Chepangs surviving by hunting wild animals, living in makeshift shelters, and eating wild fruits and bats, had heard the news that they built a satellite, he might have bitten his tongue in amazement!”
This article was original published in Kantipur Daily on 26th April of 2025 in its weekly supplement Koseli. This is the english translated version of the article. Here is the Article link published in Nepali at Kantipur Daily: https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2025/04/26/chepang-yuva-from-jungle-to-space-16-33.html