All of us have used many recyclable products in our art projects as a kid but making something useful out of waste is a very commendable task. India is attempting to move its space research a notch higher, and the launch of the country’s first ever space shuttle in the previous year has proven to be a massive milestone. Suraj Kumar Jana, the founder of OpenCube Labs, launched the “CanSat Development Programme” in 2014. The project was meant to deliver workshops to make students capable of experimenting on small scale space missions.
The 22-year-old man has managed to convert coke, red bull, and even beer cans to mini-satellites for creating an open source database based on several parameters of the city like mapping the pollution and temperature levels to help decision making. All of the satellite components are picked from open hardware like Arduino and Raspberry Pi and fitted into a 350 ml soda can.
Jana is a graduate of BMS Institute of Technology who talked about his workshops to Times of India and commented, “Receiving real-time experience of small scale space missions isn’t that reasonable and goes beyond the affordability of Indian, middle-class students. Through our workshops, we provide students first-hand knowledge on making, operating and launch of satellites.”
The mini-satellite was launched from the Air Force base in Yelahanka, and the descent was controlled with a parachute. While the CanSat made their way to the ground, the data was transmitted to the ground station.
The brain behind the project, Suraj Kumar looks forward to using his invention for collecting data that can be used to implement better environmental policies.
Elon Musk is not the only one probing into space with recyclable materials. The next big thing is the Indian kids, all thanks to the innovative thinking and dedication of a 22-year-old.