Kolkata's South Point School is set to launch its own nano-satellite
ISRO has been launching satellites into space since decades and today Indian Space Research Organisation is a worldwide name even among the super powers for their scientific feats. But have you heard of school children developing their own satellites and launching them in space? Well, something of that sort is going to happen soon as South Point School of Kolkata is developing its own nano-satellite with the help of the Indian Technology Congress Association (ITCA). The school will also have a space laboratory for students on its campus.
ITCA is the nodal agency for students’ satellite mission and under the supervision of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) help schools to develop and launch their own satellites to encourage students to turn to future scientists. The South Point School satellite has been named as PriyamvadaSat and is expected to be launched after nine months from ISRO’s Sriharikota Space Centre.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed recently between South Point School authorities and ITCA. The ITCA will be executing the launch of 75 student satellites into low Earth orbits. The project to launch 75 tiny satellites built by students has been conceived to celebrate India’s 75th Independence Day. And South Point School of Kolkata is a proud participant of the same. As Bikash Gupta, a scientist and a Pointer said: “I am very proud of this feat of my school as an alumnus. South Point always grooms students in the best possible way in scientific studies and encouraged many of us to explore beyond the pages of the book. This venture by the present students of South Point is indeed in that direction.”
Krishna Damani, Vice-chairman of the managing committee of South Point School feels this launching of a satellite by the school will indeed be a milestone in the history of South Point School, a school that has created many more such milestones in the past and can boast of an extremely enriched alumni, with ex-students making the school proud in every field. South Point indeed is an institution of fame.
The launching of the 75 student satellites is a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to commemorate the 75 years of India’s freedom. South Point happens to be the second private school in the country and first in Eastern India to go ahead with such an ambitious project. Forty nine institutions across the country have signed the MoU including some universities and colleges. The students of South Point School will be able to monitor the PriyamvadaSat from the ground station cum space lab to be established at the school premises. They will also be able to collect data at the centre sent by the satellite.
The Space Lab is also a unique addition to the facilities at the school. Not just for the launch of this satellite, the space lab will play a unique role of giving future generations of students a first-hand experience into space sciences as well as make them aware about the immense possibilities that the Space holds for mankind’s future. A model of the satellite that the students will make will be kept at the space laboratory to enable students and faculty members to get a better understanding of the functioning of satellites.
Students involved in this project are primarily from Classes XI and XII. They will be part of the design and fabrication stage of the satellite. They will be given training from ICTA and ISRO will help them to launch the final satellite into space making South Point and its students and ex-students across the globe prouder.
