ISRO to launch first student-made satellite from Sriharikota today

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will start its 2019 space programme on Thursday with the launch of the Microsat-R, an imaging satellite for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and Kamalsat, a small communication satellite developed by students and Space Kidz India. The satellites will be carried by a new variant of India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket. The rocket launch is expected to happen at about 11.40 pm on Thursday. “We will be launching the 700-kg Microsat R and Kalamsat with a new PSLV variant. “To reduce weight and increase the mass, an aluminium tank is being used for the first time in the fourth stage,” ISRO chairman K Sivan had told news agency IANS earlier.

He said Kalamsat is a payload developed by students and Chennai-based Space Kidz India. The PSLV is a four-stage engine expendable rocket with alternating solid and liquid fuel.

The satellite launch will take place 90 km off Chennai — from the first launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota.

Srimathy Kesan, Founder CEO of Space Kidz India, told IANS that her dream of putting a satellite built by students will become a reality tomorrow night with the launch of Kalamsat.

Space Kidz India is working towards promoting art, science and culture for students of India, and to create an international platform for them.

The rocket PSLV-C44 is the first mission of PSLV-DL and is a new variant. About 14 minutes into the flight the rocket would eject Microsat R at an altitude of about 277km. This would start functioning at an altitude of 450 km in about the 103th minute after lift-off.

🇮🇳 #ISROMissions 🇮🇳#PSLVC44 sits pretty on the launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota under the watchful eyes of the #Moon, ahead of its midnight launch tomorrow (Jan 24), carrying #Kalamsat and #MicrosatR.

Updates will continue. pic.twitter.com/DA1fatQA5U

— ISRO (@isro) January 23, 2019