Together, they have built an 8-kg student satellite, named ‘AzaadiSAT’ as part of the ongoing ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’

NEW DELHI: Several girl school students, mostly from rural areas, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir will celebrate a unique occasion. Together, they have built an 8-kg student satellite, named ‘AzaadiSAT’ as part of the ongoing ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

If everything goes well, the 750 girls belonging to various government high schools will watch and cheer the maiden launch of India’s latest space vehicle from ISRO carrying their satellite onboard. The project is piloted by Chennai-based Space Kidz India (SKI), the first ambassador of NASA Space Camps from India. These students have designed and built the world’s first-if-its-kind satellite in only 15 days.

Speaking to TNIE, SKI’s founder-cum-CEO Dr Srimathy Kesan says the satellite represents India’s unity in diversity. “Though the students were separated by hundreds of kilometres, they worked together through digital modes of communication.”

Dr Kesan says the unique initiative is aimed at discovering budding space scientists within the country. “As many as 75 payloads have been programmed by 75 student teams in their own schools with each team having 10 girls. The intended launch of ‘AzaadiSAT’ is on August 15 via ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). However, the ISRO chairman will announce the exact date and time,” said Dr Kesan.

Encouraged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Kesan started working on the promotion of young talents among girls for setting the world’s unique example in space feat. With a mission life of six months in space, the project puts women ahead in STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

While Hexaware Technologies extended funding support to the satellite project, Ananth Technologies in Bengaluru facilitated the testing of the satellite. She said that teams of girls will also be working on a ‘sounding rocket’ to send a 20-kg payload in space, around 80 kilometers above the earth soon in future.

ISRO Likely To Send Unique Satellite Into Space

If everything goes well, the 750 girls belonging to various government high schools will watch and cheer the maiden launch of India’s latest space vehicle from ISRO carrying their satellite onboard. The project is piloted by Chennai-based Space Kidz India (SKI), the first ambassador of NASA Space Camps from India.