Young scientist Tamang honored in Melbourne

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Oct 13: Young scientist Mohan Tamang, who dreamed of starting a rocket company in Nepal at just 15 years old in 2014 and has achieved significant success in the space sector in Nepal, has been honored in Melbourne, Australia.

He was among the 30 selected participants (out of over 250 global applicants) for the International Astronautical Federation's (IAF) 2025 Emerging Space Leaders Grant Program held in Sydney from September 29 to October 3. Seizing the opportunity of his presence in Melbourne, an event was organized at CQUniversity, initiated by President of the Association of Young Nepali Engineers in Australia Prince Bhandari, and with the support of the Lumbini-Kapilvastu Global Campaign (LKGC) and the Nepal Science Foundation Trust. Tamang was honoured by the Lumbini-Kapilvastu Global Campaign amidst scientists and specialists of Australia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, according to a press release issued on October 11 by LKGC.

During the honour ceremony, the Lumbini-Kapilvastu Global Campaign Global Coordinator Ram Kumar Shrestha explained that the campaign has so far appointed nearly two dozen national and international celebrities as cultural ambassadors and has honoured individuals including former Prime Ministers, Ministers, and Ambassadors, among others. He clarified that the campaign's honours are not bestowed upon just anyone, but specifically to those who either contributed to achieve the campaign's objective or contribute to elevating the country's name in the international arena. He stated that Mohan Tamang was homered for his great success in the space sector and for his work in putting Nepal on the international map through this field.

During his presentation, Tamang, as the Chief Executive Officer of Mach24 Orbitals, shared that he is currently focused on revolutionizing the small satellite launch industry. Its mission is to provide affordable access to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for payloads of up to 500 kg using hybrid propulsion technology, which will use liquid oxygen and candle wax. This is Nepal's first rocket startup, which aims to make space universally accessible by entering the small satellite market, read the press release.

Mach24 Orbitals participated in the world's largest startup exhibition, Startup Mahakumbh 2025, where, as Nepal's first private launch vehicle company with the vision of "Making Space Accessible to All," it attracted significant attention by demonstrating its hybrid rocket and sharing its technological achievements. It has set an ambitious target to launch Nepal's first private orbital-class rocket by 2029, fostering international collaborations to encourage innovation and exploration. To promote research and development of the hybrid engine, it has already signed a Letter of Agreement (LOA) with the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Space Department, and has also designed and tested Nepal's first hybrid rocket engine.

A lively question-and-answer session followed his presentation, where many attendees posed their queries.

The event was attended by several distinguished guests, including Lumbini-Kapilvastu Global Campaign Global Coordinator Ram Kumar Shrestha; Will Alderton, Deputy Director, International Student Experience & Student Success Division, CQUniversity; Prof. Prem Chhetri, Academic Director, International and Engagement, College of Business and Law, RMIT University; CSIRO Senior Scientist Dr. Raju Adhikari; Dr. Raj Sharma, Head of Engineering Program, CQUniversity; Senior Lecturer Dr. Kalam Azad (Bangladesh); Ranjit Gajendra, President of Empowering Vulnerable Communities (Sri Lanka); Senior Lecturer Dr. Abdul Majid (Bangladesh); Jhakendra Sharma, Founder & CEO, Bhargo Capital; Dr. Sabitra Kafle, Senior Lecturer, CQUniversity; Hari Pandey, President, Society of Nepali Engineers Victoria; Mahadev Danuk, Coordinator, NRNA Victoria; Deepak Acharya, Director, Grace International, among others.