India, on Thursday, created history after NASA launched the world’s smallest satellite, built by 18-year old Tamil Nadu student Rifath Sharook and his team. Named as Kalamsat, after former President APJ Abdul Kalam, the tiny satellite weighs around 64 grams. According to news agency ANI, the satellite was flown into the space in a NASA sounding rocket from a NASA facility in Wallops Island.
With the launch of the satellite, India has created a global space record. Speaking to ANI, Sharook said that the achievement would not have been possible without the support of his team. “It’s a 3D printed satellite. It is for the first time that 3D printing technology is being used in space. We have made history. The world’s smallest satellite has been launched in space. It was not possible without my team,” he said.
The project was carried out under the supervision of Dr. Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kids India. Speaking to Times of India, Kesan said the satellite separated from the rocket 125 minutes after it took off. She further added the NASA will recover the satellite and will send it back to to them for recovering of the data. “Kalamsat fell into the sea. It will be recovered and NASA will be sending it back to us for decoding the data,” Kesan told TOI.
Describing the launch as “divine intervention”, Kesan further added that the 3.8 cm cube structured-satellite can fit in one’s palm and is fully 3-D printed. Equipped with nano Geiger Muller counter for measuring the radiation in space, the satellite is built with reinforced carbon fiber polymer. “Space is not unreachable… Space has got no boundaries and therefore, let’s all do research together and let’s conquer Mars soon,” Kesan was quoted by ANI as saying.
