New Delhi, Aug 04: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch a satellite built by 750 school girls onboard the maiden flight of its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) on August 7.
Named 'AzaadiSAT', the girls have built it as a part of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' to mark the 75 years of India's Independence.
What is 'AzaadiSAT'?
Developed by 750 girl students from across India, AzadiSAT is the result of ISRO pushing for girls to take up Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
The eight-kg satellite has 75 Femto experiments, selfie cameras to click pictures of its own solar panels and long-range communication transponders.
The project, with a mission life of six months, is part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, to mark the 75th anniversary of Independence.
AzadiSAT also has a solid-state PIN diode-based radiation counter to measure the ionising radiation in its orbit and a long-range transponder. Isro will use the ground system that is developed by Space Kidz India for telemetry and communicating with the payloads in orbit.
Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (INSPACe), in a tweet, said 750 girl students from 75 schools across India will be "cheerfully looking at the maiden launch of India's latest launch vehicle SSLV, as it carries their AzaadiSat onboard as a co-passenger".
"This is the first of its kind space mission with an all-women concept to promote women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) as this year's UN theme is 'Women in Space'," Rifath Sharook, Chief Technology Officer, at Space Kidz India, which has developed the satellite, told PTI.
TheISRO has developed the SSLV to put in low earth orbit satellites weighing less than 500 kg, which are much in demand for applications such as earth observation and providing internet connectivity in remote areas.
The primary payload of the first demonstration flight of SSLV is an earth observation satellite MicroSat 2A.
According to ISRO, an SSLV rocket can be manufactured within a week to meet the demands of the burgeoning space sector.