JOIN USExseedSAT 1, India's 1st private satellite enters space
After several reschedules, ExseedSAT 1 hit the final frontier at 2 am on Tuesday, hitching a ride on California based SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, becoming the first Indian private satellite to enter space.
With the satellite safely in orbit, Exseed Space becomes the first Indian privately-funded startup to successfully send a satellite into space. The mission was earlier scheduled to launch on November 19 from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in the US. But, it was re-scheduled three times for various reasons.
“The mission could not take off on November 19 as the space flight services cited additional checks on the Falcon 9 which was going up for a 3rd consecutive launch. Hence, it was rescheduled to November 28 followed by two more reschedules, and was finally launched on December 4. Unfavorable weather conditions and additional checks are the two reasons for the delay, the Spaceflight Industries and SpaceX corporation informed us,” Kalpana Sumanth, Head of Operations and Talent acquisition, Exseed Space, told DH.
According to sources, the recent wildfires in California was also one of the reasons for the delay. Founders of Exseed Space, Kris Nair and Ashhar Farhan have put their satellite into space with the ultimate goal of "democratising space exploration".
“We're here to bring space closer. To make its benefits available to every government, business and human on the planet. We are now aiming to democratise the sector by making space flight simple, reliable and accessible to businesses and organisations of all sizes, and to help create a world-class space ecosystem in India,” added Sumanth.
The satellite is a major boost to the private radio operators in the country. At the moment, ExseedSAT 1 is a fully functional communications satellite. The satellite will help coordinate messaging between ham radio enthusiasts, and will help the country during natural calamities.
“We did get Telemetry in Hyderabad at 11.30 am on Tuesday,” said Sumanth.