Between late next year and 2022, up to 75 tiny satellites built by students of Indian universities could fly to the skies in batches. A technology promotion body (ITCA), based in Bengaluru, has roped in around 40 engineering colleges to form a consortium. Seventy-five by 75 which is the dream project of the Indian Technology Congress Association (ITCA) that has conceived to celebrate the nation’s 75th birthday. It is also going to be the year of Gaganyaan, the first trip of Indian astronauts to space.
ITCA president L V Muralikrishna Reddy said that they are also in the midst of discussing launch contracts with the ISRO and working out Israeli finance for its ‘75 Student Satellites Mission 2022.’ He further said that students from various participating institutions will be from different disciplines and they will get to build nanosatellites weighing between 3 and 12 kg. This opportunity of assembling a satellite of their own, creating its ground control system, and operating the spacecraft will definitely give students a creative experience that gives them an edge in the job market.
Pramitha Ramaprakash, ITCA’s satellite design and payload consultant, who is also the founder-CEO of Transcend Satellite Technology, said that she is interested to help budding engineers with satellite design and payloads or experiments.
(Image Courtesy: The Hindu)
