Student-built satellite to be launched next month

Mangalore Today News Network

April 20: A satellite developed entirely by students is all set to be put into orbit along with Cartosat 2B of ISRO and would be carried by a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) next month.

 

 

Ground Station

 

Students Team

"The satellite ’STUDSAT’, designed and developed by a consortium of seven engineering colleges from Bangalore and Hyderabad, weighs less than one kg with a volume of 1.1 litres and has been designed to operate in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 680 km," Studsat project coordinator Jharna Majumdar, Prof. Computer Science & Engg. Dean (R&D) of Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Bangalore told reporters in Bangalore on Thursday.

"The payload of the satellite, built by 40 students, consists of a CMOS camera capable of capturing images with a ground resolution of approximately 90 metres," the project team leader Chetan Angadi said.

"The satellite will send the image and telemetry data from the orbit to the ground station. This data could be used for weather study, vegetation and landscaping study," he said.

"The design, development and fabrication of the satellite is complete...It is now been undergoing final environment test for take off," he said.

"The satellite is officially handed over to Indian Space Research Organisation on April 17. It will be taken to Sriharikota for the launch scheduled somewhere in May," Majumdar said.

Developed at an approximate cost of Rs 55 lakh sans the infrastructure cost and equipment provided by the consortium and ISRO, the satellite has been completely developed by students with no parts imported. Lack of imported parts has drastically cut down the cost, she said.

STUDSAT colleges:
1. Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Bangalore.
2. RV College of Engineering, Bangalore.
3. BMS Institute of Technology, Bangalore.
4. MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore.
5. Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Hyderabad.
6. Vignan Institute of Technology and Science, Hyderabad.
7. Chaitanya Bharati Institute of Technology, Hyderabad.

Courtesy- DHNS