Why India’s smallest satellite is such a big deal

The first ‘beacon’ from the satellite,signalling its health,was received at 11.07 am on July 12,much to the joy of the 35-40 students — a majority of them from NMIT,besides students from MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology,RV College of Engineering and MNS Institute of Technology in Bangalore and three other colleges in Hyderabad — who spearheaded the ambitious project,with guidance and encouragement from the Indian Space Research Organisation.

In a few days,images of the earth taken by the on-board camera will start streaming in every time Studsat passes over the station — three to five times a day — and they could be useful in vegetation,soil content and distance studies.

Measuring just 10 cm X 10 cm X 11 cm and developed at a cost of Rs 55 lakh pooled by the consortium of colleges,Studsat,which has a cubic design that enhances stability and makes optimum internal space available for components,was a student initiative spurred by a lecture by DVA Raghava Murthy,Project Director,Small Satellite Projects,ISRO Satellite Centre,Bangalore,at the 2007 International Astronautical Congress in Hyderabad.

“By the time an MoU was signed one-and-a-half years ago,the students had already come up with an initial design. The fact that Studsat is up there sending signals from space demonstrates their capabilities,” Murthy said.

Vigneswaran,who was responsible for Studsat’s on-board computing,stayed on at NMIT for a year after he graduated in electronics and communications,and so did eight others who were in charge of various sub-systems such as structure,payload and communication. “I had an offer from IBM but this project was important,it was exciting. I am leaving in August for higher studies in the Netherlands,” he says. His twin brother Visweswaran led the ground station development before leaving about a month ago for France,where he is studying at the International Space University.

“Most of us had offers from good companies and universities,but nothing would provided the kind of exposure and hands-on experience in space technology that this project has given us,” says Chetan Dikshit,who managed the finance side of the project and will go on to do an MBA this year.

The pico-satellite tested the limits of their knowledge and skill. “Since it is so small,it has no thrusters to orient the camera. To turn the camera to face the earth,we have to perform algorithms that could take days,” says Vigneswaran.

Chetan Angadi,one of the key technical leaders,says the optics were bought from the market but integration had to be meticulous since a minute difference could result in blurred images. “We expect the first images,which will have a resolution of 93 metres per pixel,to arrive after the satellite stabilises,” he says. Sharath,who designed the outer structure of Studsat,says the challenge was to maintain an accuracy of 0.01 mm — “A sheet of paper is 0.03 mm thick” — in dimensions.

Besides a tracking station,NMIT set up a ‘clean room’ for testing,handling and integration of the satellite. Dr Jharna Mazumdar,Director of Research and Development at the institute,says NMIT spent Rs 45 lakh to install the facilities.

Mamatha,a student of electronics and communication who led the attitude determination sub-system of Studsat,and is in charge of the tracking station,says,“We have the requisite equipment now. All we need to do is pass on the passion for space science to our juniors and continue making Studsats.”

While Anusat,a 40-kg satellite built by Anna University,Chennai,was launched last year,IIT-Kanpur,IIT-Bombay and SRM University are working on similar student satellites.