College students develop satellite
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ISRO to launch it on February 28
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ISRO to launch it on February 28
Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology has developed a satellite which the Indian Space Research Organisation will launch on February 28.
The college’s 12 students with support from faculty had developed the satellite, Sri Shakti Sat, at around ₹2 crore. The satellite would be a part of the UNITYSat, which would also include satellites built by two other institutions – one in Chennai and another in Nagpur, said its chairman S. Thangavelu at a press meet held here on Wednesday.
The journey to develop the satellite started around 10 years ago when the college started postgraduate courses in VLSI and a few other disciplines and after a few other education institutions launched satellites.
As the name suggests, the initiative resembles a kind of UberPool for satellites, allowing different operators to hitch a ride into space on the same rocket and split the cost, rather than having to invest upwards of $60 million to charter an individual rocket.
Under the SmallSat Rideshare Program, it costs only $1 million to send a 200-kilogram spacecraft into sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), which houses imaging, military and weather satellites.
SpaceX aims to serve this orbit via a regular service every four months, in a bid to provide increased access to space for small satellite operators seeking a reliable, affordable ride to orbit .
In his speech, the Governor also mentioned the state government s food for all initiative implemented during the time of lock down, community kitchens of Kudumbashree, relief camps,the regular supply of provision kits to all card holders and the care shown towards the elders and guests workers during the crisis.