BHUBANESWAR : The CV Raman Global University (CGU) in Bhubaneswar is set to create history as the first university in the country’s Eastern zone to launch its own satellite.
The CGU’s maiden satellite CGUSAT-1 will be launched into space using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-62 of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on January 12. A MoU was signed CGU pro-VC G Sridevi with IN-SPACe, facilitating regulatory and launch coordination support, university officials said.
The satellite is now ready for launch aboard ISRO’s PSLV and will begin transmitting signals from LEO Sun Synchronous (480-505km) orbit from January 15 onwards, marking a historic milestone for the university. The groundwork for this milestone was laid four years back with the establishment of a government licensed satellite ground station (Call Sign: VU2CGU) under the university’s department of Space Systems Engineering, the officials said.
As part of the capacity building for the programme, CGU advisor professor Sunil Kumar Sarangi along with other faculty members recently visited Technion University and Herzliya Science Centre, Israel to study global best practices in student-built satellite development.
CV Raman Global University founder and president Sanjib Kumar Rout said that students participating in this satellite programme will gain expertise in areas such as satellite operations, image processing, satellite communication, research and innovation. The programme also enables students to analyse satellite image data and explore commercial applications and startup opportunities in the space and geospatial sectors.
“The privatisation of India’s space sector has opened up vast opportunities in entrepreneurship, employment and research for students. Keeping this in mind, CGU established the department of Space Systems Engineering to provide hands-on training in satellite construction, tracking and image processing, thereby preparing students for emerging careers in the space ecosystem,” Rout added.
University officials said CGU also plans to develop two more advanced satellites using state-of-the-art technologies for which training programmes for the students is underway.