ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) on July 12, 2010 has launched 5 new satellites into the earth’s orbit by the polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) including Studsat. Out of the 5 satellites, 3 satellites canadian, Swiss and Algerian were foriegn satellites that were launched with commercial aspects. The rest two Indian satellites being Cartosat 2B and Studsat.
The function of the two Indian satellites would be to collect pictures and data from different parts of India that will be useful in resource assessment. Cartosat 2B will collect pictures and data relevant for rural development. This assessment will help in planning effectively for the future.
With this launch, the total number of satellite launches by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle has climated to 22 since 1994. The biggest achievement in this launch was the successful launch of satellite Studsat which is built by a joint team of students from various engineering colleges of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Studsat:
Studsat is a Pico satellite weighing merely 650 grams and built jointly by students of a consortium of seven engineering colleges in Bangalore and Hyderabad.
Key Achievement of Studsat:
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Studsat is India’s first Pico satellite which weighs less than a kilogram.
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The mission life of this satellite is estimated to be six months with the total development cost of 55 lakh.
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Studsat will operate in low orbit of earth with an altitude of 650 km.
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Studsat is capable of maintaining communication with 250 amateur satellites across the globe.
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The students who developed this satellite also developed a CMOS camera which is capable of taking pictures with a ground resolution of 90 meters.
Labels: Extra Terrestrial Environment