CHENNAI: From designing imaging payloads and AI-powered onboard systems to building communication modules and power systems for CubeSats and Nanosats, engineering students across Tamil Nadu will soon get a chance to work on satellite technology with government funding, as the state begins preparing a skilled workforce for the upcoming ISRO launch facility at Kulasekarapattinam.
The Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology (TNSCST) will invite applications from engineering colleges in November for 10 student satellite design projects, with each selected team receiving a Rs 5 lakh grant to develop functional satellite subsystems, payloads or CubeSat models within a year.
The scheme is part of the state’s broader plan to build a space industry ecosystem around the proposed Space Technology Special Investment Zone in the Thoothukudi-Tirunelveli region, which will be anchored by ISRO’s new launch facility. The state had allocated Rs 50 lakh for the project in the recent budget.
According to higher education department officials, final-year undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students can submit proposals in five focus areas — payload design for imaging and sensors, telemetry and communication, onboard data handling and artificial intelligence, electrical power systems, and structural design and thermal control.
The selected teams will receive funding for satellite components such as sensors, transceivers and solar cells, fabrication and PCB printing, environmental testing and calibration, besides travel for testing and consultations with mentors. TNSCST member secretary S Vincent told TNIE, “This will equip them with practical skills needed for careers in space sector.”
An expert committee will evaluate the proposals. A proposed mentorship panel includes former ISRO satellite centre director Mylswamy Annadurai, experts from IIT Madras and Anna University’s Centre for Aerospace Research, ISRO scientists, and founders of Chennai-based space startups Agnikul Cosmos and GalaxEye Space.
