India's Space Organisation Launches Student Made Satellite

?? #ISROMissions ??#PSLVC44 to launch #Kalamsat and #MicrosatR from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on January 24. Kalamsat is a student payload while Microsat-R is an imaging satellite.

Stay tuned for updates. pic.twitter.com/cbYzkR4s7n

— ISRO (@isro) January 16, 2019

Student-designed satellite takes the name from former leader

The Kalamsat satellite was developed by an Indian high-school team led by Rifath Shahrukh, an 18-year-old from the Tamil Nadu town of Pallapatti. It is the world's lightest satellite and the first satellite to be 3D printed. It takes its name from former Indian president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. 

“The Kalamsat is a 10cm cube nano-satellite weighing about 1.2kg. The satellite's life span is about two months and its cost is about Rs. 12 lakh," Srimathy Kesan, Founder-CEO of Space Kidz India, told IANS.

The launch of the Kalamsat is part of a larger program to involve Indian students with the work of ISRO. Space Kidz is a program that aims to involve high-school students closely with India's top researchers. 

Speaking to the media last week,ISRO chairman K. Sivan explained that three students from each of the 29 states and 7 union territories would be selected for training at ISRO Centers. They will have the opportunity to work closely with ISRO leading science and develop small satellites. 

?? #ISROMissions ??#PSLVC44 sits pretty on the launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota under the watchful eyes of the #Moon, ahead of its midnight launch tomorrow (Jan 24), carrying #Kalamsat and #MicrosatR.

Updates will continue. pic.twitter.com/DA1fatQA5U

— ISRO (@isro) January 23, 2019

?? #ISROMissions ??

Take a look the mission at a glance.#PSLVC44 #MicrosatR#KalamsatV2 pic.twitter.com/GTlKYY3dhZ

— ISRO (@isro) January 24, 2019

#ISROMissions

?? Mission Accomplished! ??
Thank You for your support!#PSLVC44 #MicrosatR#KalamsatV2 pic.twitter.com/uNqK8vf74L

— ISRO (@isro) January 24, 2019

If their world is of high-quality some of the satellites may be used in future launches. The launch took place from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota. 

Rocket takes off in the new configuration

The PSLV was launched in a new configuration called PSLV-DL. Normally the rocket would have six strap-on motors hugging its first stage. However, for this satellite launch, it had a two strap-on motors configuration. 

The rocket ejected Microsat R approximately 14 minutes into its flight at an altitude of about 277km. The Kalamsat will take advantage of the rocket's fourth stage. 

It is the first time that a student-designed satellite has been delivered into a proper orbit as its earlier satellites were suborbital ones. ISRO is ramping up its program with several more satellite missions planned for 2019. 

Space-Kidz program puts students at the face of new research

The organisation says that under the space-Kidz program a new satellite is being planned that has the ability to conduct space-based experiments.

“We are planning to build a satellite called Vikramsat to do some biological experiment in the space. By this we hope to contribute in a small way to India's ambitious human space mission Gaganyaan," Founder CEO of Space Kidz India, Srimathy Kesan told local news. 

A satellite built out of a collaboration between the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and the California Institute of Technology, is also expected to have a 2019 launch.