The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has chosen an indigenous experimental satellite developed by three students from Tamil Nadu for launch in suborbital space.
Mentored and guided by Chennai-based Space Kids India, the three students hail from pockets in Tamil Nadu - M Adnaan of Thanthonrimalai, M Kesavan of Nagampalli village near Malaikovilur and V Arun of Thennilai, according to a report by The Hindu.
Their labour bore fruit as they bagged the Cubes in Space competition, a global competitive programme for aspiring space scientists by Idoodledu Inc in association with NASA.
The students began their research in class 11 and began to design the world’s smallest and lightest technology demonstrator satellite, the report added. It consists of reinforced graphene polymer, and is 3 cm in size and weighs merely 64 grams.
Although small-sized, the satellite has its own radio frequency communication to transmit and receive signals from earth to outer space. It has in-built solar cells to generate power, and the photographic film will absorb and measure the cosmic radiation inside the rocket.
The satellite, named Indian Sat, will be launched into the sub orbit in June.
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