When Aadya Karthik was 8 years old, a visit to the Pacific Science Center sparked a passion that would shape her future.

Karthik, a Redmond eighth grader next school year, is one of just three winners across the country in NASA’s space exploration essay contest, the Power to Explore Challenge. Her victory in the national writing competition has earned her a VIP tour of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, where she will meet the minds behind NASA’s missions.

Karthik’s winning entry, Destiny: A Journey of Resilience, was inspired by her fascination with Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS). These nuclear batteries have powered some of NASA’s most daring missions to the farthest and darkest corners of the solar system for more than 60 years. The challenge asked students to envision an RPS powered space mission, and write about how it would enable their exploration dreams.

Photo by Hiranmayee Karthik

To investigate mysterious red arcs on Saturn’s moon Tethys, Aadya imagined a spacecraft named Destiny. “Destiny will attempt to understand the origin and composition of these arcs using a spectrometer and camera system,” she wrote in her 247- word entry. “Like RPS, I strive to be resilient, regardless of what challenges come my way.”

This year’s Power to Explore Challenge received nearly 1,800 entries from 48 states and Puerto Rico. The challenge is funded by the NASA Science Mission Directorate’s RPS Program Office.

Karthik has entered the contest for the past three years. “Participating in this challenge has always enhanced my passion about astronomy and cosmology,” Karthik says. “I’m excited about the possibility of getting recognized in a national contest, but most of all, I’m just happy my hard work paid off.”

As she looks ahead, Karthik sees a future in the aerospace industry, driven by her love for the stars and the mysteries they hold.