New Delhi, January 19: In a major breakthrough, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch the world’s lightest and smallest payload satellite 'Kalam SAT' on PSLV-C44, a new variant of PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) from Sriharikota on January 24. Along with Kalam SAT, the Indian space agency will also launch an imaging satellite Microsat-R by the same launching vehicle. The Kalam SAT satellite has been built by a student start-up from Chennai and is named after former President A P J Abdul Kalam.

"The 46th flight of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C44) will launch Microsat-R and Kalam SAT from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on January 24," ISRO said in a statement. The space agency said that PSLV-C44 is the first mission of PSLV-DL and is a new variant of PSLV and 'Kalam SAT' will be the first to use PS4 as an orbital platform. ISRO Young Scientist Programme: Kids Will Learn How to Build Small Satellites. 

About Kalam SAT satellite:

  • Kalam SAT is named after former Indian president Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and is the world’s smallest and lightest satellite.

  • The student satellite weighs just 64 grams and it is fitted in a 3.8 centimeters cube. The probe is composed of 3-D printed reinforced carbon fiber polymer. Part of the components were supplied from India and other parts from abroad.

  • The satellite is built by an Indian High school student team, led by Rifath Sharook, an 18-year-old from the Tamil Nadu town of Pallapatti.

  • The high school team participated in Cubes in Space, a STEM-based education program by Idoodle Learning.Inc and NASA.

  • As selected student competitors, the team won an opportunity to design experiments to be launched into space on a NASA rocket.

  • Kalam SAT was launched by NASA along with several other experiments on Terrier Orion sounding rocket on 22 June 2017 from Wallops Island flight facility in Virginia.

  • Kalam SAT is listed in the pages of Asia Book of Records, India Book of Records and Assist World Records, as holding the record title of "World's lightest and smallest satellite"

On Friday, while addressing a conference, Dr K Sivan, ISRO Chairman stated that the launch window for Chandravaan-2 is March 25 - April 30 this year.  He said that ISRO has planned 32 missions this year. Elaborating on the priority areas of ISRO, the Chairman said that these include Gaganyaan project, reaching out to students, outreach programmes, planned missions of this year and Vikram Sarabhai Centenary celebrations.  ISRO Successfully Launches India’s Heaviest and Most Powerful Satellite GSAT-11 From French Guiana; All You Need to Know. 

For the first time, ISRO has announced the ‘Young Scientists Programme’ to encourage the scientific talent and increase scientific pool in the country. Under this programme, Dr Sivan said, 3 students from each state and UT will be selected for ISRO programme for one month during which they will visit ISRO centres, interact with senior scientists and will have access to Research and Development facilities, a government release stated. All the expenses of travelling and boarding will be borne by ISRO.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 19, 2019 04:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).