How 750 girls from rural India created an 8-kg microsatellite that ISRO rocket will carry to space

On 7 August, 750 girls from rural India will make history, as the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) newly developed Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) leaves for its maiden spaceflight from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

They will not be there only to witness ISRO’s smallest commercial rocket take off as most awe-struck children would. These students have played a role in the project.

Onboard the SSLV will be AzaadiSAT, an eight-kilogramme microsatellite carrying 75 small payloads developed by schoolgirls from 75 rural schools across India. It’s an all-girls project that started six months ago and Sunday’s launch will see their dream take flight.

No prizes for guessing why 75 is a recurring number. The SSLV launch is part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of Independence.

What’s the microsatellite about?

On its first flight, the SSLV will carry one of India’s experimental Earth Observation Satellites – EOS-02 – that will have applications in mapping and developing various GIS (Geographic Information System) applications.

If all goes as planned, the small rocket will separate from EOS-02 12.3 minutes after its scheduled launch from Satish Dhawan Space in Sriharikota at 9:18 am. Exactly a minute later, at an altitude of 356 kilometres from Earth, it will part with AzaadiSAT which will get injected into the Lower Earth Orbit (LEO), reports News18.com.

The eight-kg satellite has 75 Femto experiments, selfie cameras to click pictures of its solar panels, and long-range communication transponders. The mission life of the satellite is six months.

How did the girls develop AzaadiSat?

The satellite was developed by an all-girls team from rural corners of India and the project was coordinated by Space Kidz India (SKI), a space start-up.

The girls, mostly from Class 8 to Class 12, were selected from 75 government schools. The first-of-its-kind space mission in the country was undertaken with the idea to promote women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

The Chennai-based organisation, Space Kidz, led the work on AzaadiSAT along with NITI Aayog, teaching the girls to build small experiments. The main systems, including the onboard computer, flight software, electrical power system, telemetry and telecommand were developed and tested by the SKI, reports News18.

The First Boarding pass for Sending the name to Space on "AzaadiSAT" was generated for the Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri.@narendramodi. Thank you for supporting this historic mission. 750 girls, 75 Government schools.#AzaadiSAT #ISRO #INSPACe #SSLV pic.twitter.com/3htzjJFAJd

— Space Kidz India (@SpaceKidzIndia) July 8, 2022

What is AzaadiSAT’s mission?

AzaadiSAT will be a normal orbital satellite. “We are using hardcore technology, which is an enhanced version from the Satish Dhawan set. Power systems have also been enhanced,” Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India told News9.

A key aim of AzaadiSAT will be to demonstrate the LoRA (long-range radio) transponder for creating a space-based LoRA gateway, which will be mostly used for amateur radio communication during this mission, according to the News18 report.

The indigenous nano-satellite subsystems built by students will be demonstrated. And the selfie camera, which will take pictures of the satellite and send it back to earth, can help study the impact of solar winds on the surface of the satellite and solar panels, says the report.

AzaadiSAT will carry a recorded version of the national anthem sung by Rabindranath Tagore, which will play in space as a tribute to the country.

What about the SSLV?

The SSLV, carrying AzaadiSAT, is the smallest vehicle at 110-tonne mass at ISRO. “It will take only 72 hours to integrate, unlike the 70 days taken now for a launch vehicle. Only six people will be required to do the job, instead of 60 people. The entire job will be done in a very short time and the cost will be only around Rs 30 crore. It will be an on-demand vehicle,” former ISRO chairman K Sivan had stated in 2019 at the ISRO headquarters during an annual press conference.

With a growing market for the global launch services for small satellites, ISRO’s SSLV would make for an attractive option because of its low cost, ability to launch on demand, and capacity to carry multiple loads. It will cater to a market for the launch of small satellites into low earth orbits, which has emerged in recent years, from developing countries, private corporations, and universities.

Operating SSLV on smaller and more commercial missions will free up the massively used Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) for bigger missions to space.

What does the launch mean for the girls?

Seven hundred and fifty girls 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,” tweeted the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (INSPACe), an independent nodal agency under the Department of Space.

The Azaadisat is a student satellite carrying 75 femto experiments, selfie camera to click pictures of its own solar panels and LoRa (Long Range Communication) transponders.
It is expected to encourage girl students to take up STEM subjects. [3/3]

— IN-SPACe (@INSPACeIND) July 29, 2022

“It is no less than a flight of freedom for these girls. It’s the first time a space-related project built by them in their class will actually go into space and collect data,” Kesan told News18.

With inputs from agencies

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