The Standpoint

IITians Develop a Nano-Satellite

By

Nisha Chaudhary

Another milestone for one of the most esteemed institute of India. IIT Kanpur has developed a nano-satellite which is expected to provide data on drought, flood, vegetation and forestation.

This is the first Indian satellite that has been developed entirely by college students. Students will hand over the work to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for further tests, and it will be launched soon after. The nano satellite is interestingly called Jugnu and is reportedly expected to have a mass of 3.5 KG and 34 cm in length. The satellite will have specific function of sending imagery on ground conditions. A tracking station will be set up in the institute where the real-time data on drought, flood, vegetation and forestation will be received.

In December 2007, the ISRO proposal was taken up by an ambitious group of around three to four members. The proposal materialized into a full-fledged project in 2009. Since, the ISRO decided it was worth funding the project, a team of students led by Shantanu Agrawal, an M Phil student developed the satellite.

In a conversation with a member of the group, Kunwar Apoorv Singh, Head of Thermal Power Subsistence, he mentioned that there are significantly around 42-45 members now. The conversation also revealed some more facts about the project. “If u build a satellite”, said Mr. Singh, “you need 3-4 crores but this satellite costs only 2.5 crores”. He added that “even as the state technology has been growing, the space components are still old and regressive. We have used off-the-shelf components which can be easily experimented by ISRO as its cost is comparatively low and there are less of complications”. The satellite will also be fitted with high definition cameras to capture detailed images to enable data analysis.

The satellite is not geosynchronous and will have low earth orbit. The data can be accessed when the satellite will be visible from the tracking station. These nano-satellites have hardly any relation with nanotechnology. The nanosats, as they are called, are appealing because their small size makes them affordable and opens up potential for a swarm of satellites. IIT Kanpur embarked on this innovative venture after the ISRO started accepting satellites developed by other countries and universities.