Women Make Science: Kyrgyzstan’s Space School

In a country where girls are often kidnapped and forced to marry, a defiant all-girls space-tech school are building Kyrgyzstan's first satellite.

We follow a team of young women in the Kyrgyz Space Program as they work to launch the country’s first satellite.

In the capital Bishkek, a non-profit organisation has put together an all-female group to build and launch the country’s first satellite by 2021.

This could help reignite an industry once shuttered; after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan gained independence but lost its national space programme.

Nineteen-year-old Alina and others work tirelessly to code, wire, design and build the satellite. They also have to whip up support and raise funds by speaking at events and doing local media gigs.

Kyrgyzstan’s Space School follows their journey as they get ready for the launch, documenting the challenges and successes this formidable team encounters.