By: Muskan Lath
KalamSat is a satellite developed by the students from Space Kidz India. It is named after the former late President and scientist of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. The Indian Space Research Organisation launched KalamSat and MicrosatR from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on 24th January, 2019.
With a lifespan of two months, KalamSat is a communication satellite is the lightest and first 3D printed satellite. The cost incurred in making this satellite was 12 lakhs. The weight of the nanosatellite is 1.2 kg.
“We will be launching 700-kg Microsat-R and Kalamsat with a new variant of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). In order to reduce the weight and increase the mass, an aluminum tank is used for the first time in the fourth stage,” K Sivan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told IANS.
Rifath Sharook, 18 year old student, is the brain behind the satellite. She, along with her team of six, made the smallest satellite weighing 64 grams that was launched by NASA in 2017.
Srimathy Kesan, the founder and CEO of Space Kidz India, mentioned that KalamSat is the first satellite developed by Space Kidz India that is going into proper orbits. Earlier, they had developed only sub-orbital satellites.
Space Kidz India is a Chennai based organisation working towards promoting art, science and culture. They are an ambassador to the space camps in NASA, pioneers in organising workshops at New York University, etc.