CHENNAI: Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore is set to launch its PSLV C-51 satellite named ‘SRISAKTHI SAT’ from Sriharikota on February 28. It will stay in the Earth’s orbit for 6 months at an altitude of 510 km.
The launch aims to demonstrate the efficacy of the satellite that is only 460 gm - one of the lightest satellites developed by a college. Less than a dozen educational institutions in the country have launched their own satellite.
If the launch is successful, it will be used in the future in Internet of Things operations including spotting forest fires early and spotting gas or oil leaks. The satellite is a cuboid with two sides measuring 10 cm each and with a height of 3.8 cm. S Thangavelu, chairman of the institution, said that the satellite can operate between -40 to 150 degrees celsius.
He added that it can travel 7 km in a second and orbit the Earth in 90 minutes. The initiative took off following the launch of the IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2020 for private industries and educational institutions, and in association with the ISRO.
Three professors and 12 students worked on the project and the institution is also associated with the Space Research Centre in Serbia, that provided technical assistance to set up their ground station.