Hundred tiny Femto satellites, designed and developed by 1,000 students from across the country, will be launched into space on Sunday from Tamil Nadu’s Rameshwaram, the birthplace of former president APJ Abdul Kalam. Of the 100 satellites, 38 are from Maharashtra, which includes a satellite from Mumbai based Children's Academy. The satellites will be launched under a joint project by APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation, Chennai-based Space Zone India and another organisation called Martin.
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The satellites are made of composite material and measure 4x4x4cm. They will be launched via a high altitude scientific balloon and will go on to attain an altitude of 35,000-38,000 metre. A Femto satellite is also called a small satellite, miniaturised satellite, or smallsat. It is a satellite with a low mass and small size, usually under 500kg. These satellites when launched in large numbers are useful for gathering of scientific data as well as for radio relay. They are also used for training purposes. The satellites are also equipped with sensors to study areas like ozone, cosmic ray, carbon dioxide and humidity.
Kalam was an Indian aerospace scientist and politician who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. He spent four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).
{{/usCountry}}Kalam was an Indian aerospace scientist and politician who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. He spent four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).
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He was also involved in India's civilian space programme and military missile development efforts owing to which he came to be known as the Missile Man of India. He also played a pivotal role in India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998. He was a recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.