“Our main aim now is to make the satellite systems as compact as possible,” said Dr S K Sharma, the Group Director, Project Planning Group (PPG) at the Space Applications Centre (SAC) here.

“We are working towards miniaturising the satellite systems,” said the scientist from SAC, an arm of ISRO involved in designing and building communication, remote sensing and meteorological satellite payloads and satellite communication earth station equipment.

“The micro-satellite systems will have satellites weighing less than 100 kg,” Sharma said while delivering a talk on India’s Space Programme during a function organised on Thursday night to commemorate the third anniversary celebrations of American Corner at the Ahmedabad Management Association here.

“The first micro-satellite of ISRO called the PWSat, with a payload of five to six kg and weighing less than 100 kg, is under development and will be launched soon,” Sharma said.

“We want to make satellites that are more powerful and compact,” Sharma said, without specifying any date for the launch.

As per the existing technology, when the power of the satellites is increased, they become bigger in terms of weight and size, he added.

Mr Sharma said micro-satellites with more power and larger bandwidth are being developed by the ISRO. Micro-satellites fall into the 10-100 kg category and are largely aimed at conducting smaller experiments in space. These satellites also bring down the cost of conducting such experiments.

KERALA LAND SCAM
VS rules out probe in to ISRO land deal

Thiruvananthapuram, UNI:  Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Friday turned down the Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front’s (UDF) demand for a CBI probe into the ISRO land deal.

Talking to newspersons here, he said: “There is no need for such an inquiry as the government can bring out the‘mystery’ behind the deal even without any such probe”. The Opposition stalled the proceedings in the state Assembly earlier in the day alleging that Forest Minister Binoy Viswam helped an individual to sell government land near Ponmudi in this district to the ISRO) to set up the Space Institute.