A young STEM trailblazer from Trinidad and Tobago is making history as one of the select participants in a landmark global space initiative for young women, opening new doors for Caribbean representation in the fast-growing international space sector.
Nineteen-year-old Kaitlyn Sahatoo, a first-year medical student at The University of the West Indies, departed her home country for India on Tuesday to take part in Mission ShakthiSAT, an all-girls space and satellite technology initiative organized by Space Kidz India that brings together aspiring young engineers from over 100 nations worldwide.
Sahatoo’s path to the programme began with a lifelong fascination with the cosmos that long predates her university studies. A graduate of Parvati Girls’ Hindu College and a resident of Gasparillo, she previously led her secondary school’s astronomy club, nurturing her passion for space exploration alongside her academic coursework. She first learned about the ShakthiSAT opportunity during a school career fair, and immediately began working through the programme’s rigorous selection process, which required completing 21 self-paced online modules covering core topics ranging from advanced mathematics and astrophysics to practical satellite engineering design.
Over months of studying outside of regular school hours, Sahatoo dedicated more than 500 hours of work to complete the modules, outperforming most other candidates from her region. In the final selection stage, only three applicants met the strict completion thresholds to advance to the interview round, where candidates were evaluated across a range of key competencies: leadership ability, collaborative teamwork, resilience, ethical reasoning, global citizenship, personal core values, and demonstrated commitment to space exploration. Sahatoo’s exceptional performance earned her the single spot representing Trinidad and Tobago at the in-person 10-day programme.
During her time in India, Sahatoo will work side-by-side with veteran space scientists and other young delegates from around the world to construct a functional nanosatellite, which will later be launched into low Earth orbit. Looking ahead to her long-term career, the young innovator plans to combine her ongoing medical training with her space technology expertise, with a focus on developing space-enabled solutions for global healthcare challenges: specifically, satellite-powered telemedicine, large-scale disease surveillance, and expanded access to remote healthcare for underserved communities.
Trinidad and Tobago’s national mission ambassador Donna Scoon-Moses emphasized that this opportunity carries broader significance beyond individual achievement, noting that Sahatoo’s participation will help strengthen the profile of Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean in the rapidly expanding global space economy. Local conglomerate ANSA McAL provided critical financial support for the endeavour, contributing TT$21,500 to cover Sahatoo’s international airfare and all programme-related expenses.