IIT-K to launch nano satellite by Dec

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) has received the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) nod to launch its first and country’s lightest nano satellite, Jugnu, by this December.

The nod came after a second design review was presented by the IIT-K authorities. The satellite will be launched in the polar orbit from Sriharikota.

IIT-K director Sanjay Govind Dhande said, “Though the memorandum of understanding between Isro and IIT-K for the project was signed in February, regular review sessions are being carried out by ISRO to check the progress of the project.”

The first review session of the Jugnu was carried out by Isro in April. “On Tuesday, our technical team working on the project apprised Isro authorities of the release and antenna mechanism,” said Dhande.

A team of 12 professors and 40 IIT-K students led by professor and mechanical engineering department head, Nalinaksh S Vyas, have been working on the project since last December.

A technical team of Isro led by D Madhav Murthy, director (small satellite), said they had informed Isro authorities about the details related to the release of Jugnu by mother satellite in polar orbit, and also provided the details regarding the satellite antenna set up in the institute premises.

“A similar project in any European country would have cost over Rs 10 crore but we expect the entire project to complete within a budget of Rs 2-3 crore, without compromising on quality. This is a welcome signal for indigenous remote sensing technologies,” said Vyas.

Weighing 3.5 kg, Jugnu would be 34 cm long and 10 cm wide. It would be equipped with micro imaging and micro electronic system, and transit images to base station at the IITK campus.

“Although the stipulated life time of the satellite is six months, we are optimistic that it will complete at least 12 months in the orbit,” said Dhandhe.

The high-resolution pictures and data obtained will be used for various applications such as drought monitoring, wasteland management, urban planning and flood-risk management.