WARANGAL: From spending hours observing the night sky as a child to being named a registered space tutor for ISRO, it has been quite a ‘space shuttle’ ride for 24-year-old Shashank Bhoopathi. As the founder of the Ancient Technologies Design Research Lab, this architect from Warangal merges ancient architectural knowledge with space technologies.
He was born to Shankar and Shyamala, senior advocates in the Warangal district court, in 2000. His parents say he would spend hours looking at the night sky, asking them questions and letting his imagination soar beyond the exosphere.
After his schooling, his interest in space intensified. Speaking to TNIE, Shashank says he began researching exoplanets and theorising about extraterrestrial life in distant galaxies during this time. Soon after, he turned his focus to Mars, exploring its history and speculating about life on the red planet.
While he wanted to pursue astronautical engineering, fate led him to architecture instead. In 2022, he graduated from JNAFAU, Hyderabad. “I thought it was the right choice, and it turned out to be a perfect fit as it allowed me to combine my creative skills with my passion for space research. During my studies, I founded the Ancient Technologies Design Research Lab, where I began exploring how ancient architectural techniques could solve modern challenges in space exploration,” says Shashank.
At his lab, Shashank studies ancient sites, temples and terrains and their interaction with magnetic fields. He uses these findings to inspire the design of space systems. His projects include modular spacecraft, lightweight astronaut habitats and space structures inspired by ancient principles known for sustainability and strength.
Helping students explore
Before bagging the ‘space tutor’ job, Shashank led workshops at various universities throughout India to help students explore space architecture. These included Lovely Professional University (Punjab), Poornima University (Jaipur), Christ University (Bengaluru) and several institutions in Hyderabad.
He has also been awarded the Kakatiya Puraskaram in February this year for his research on Warangal’s ancient sites and their magnetic field interactions.
Making Warangal a space hub
Shashank’s ambitions go beyond education and research. He has plans to create a space base in Telangana, inspired by Elon Musk’s Starbase in Texas, US. He envisions Warangal as a hub for manufacturing spacecraft, rockets, engines and space habitats, designed entirely by his company.
“I believe that combining ancient wisdom with modern technology can revolutionise space exploration while fostering innovation and creating jobs in India,” the 24-year-old says.
