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Jugnu, placed into orbit by the Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle C18 (PSLV-C18) of the Indian Space
Research Organsation (ISRO), miniaturises communication
capabilities, power source and a control system,
comprising the basic functions of a much bigger
satellite, into a foot-long package just four
inches in height and width, weighing only three
kilograms.
IIT-Kanpur designed Jugnu's ejection system,
a complex piece of technology that makes space
missions possible by separating the satellite
from the launch vehicle and placing it in a precise
orbit. The mechanism went through dozens of rigorous
tests before certification by the Vikram Sarabhai
Space Centre as spaceworthy. IIT-Kanpur will be
filing a patent through ISRO before dedicating
it to the nation.
Ejection systems - or separation mechanism -
available with ISRO are meant only for much larger
satellites weighing between 100 kg and 1,000 kg,
but not for a nanosat like Jugnu, said Nalinaksh
Vyas, Jugnu's project leader and professor of
mechanical engineering at IIT-Kanpur.
They are usually imported at a cost of Rs.50
lakh ($100,350) apiece, he added.
Vyas told IANS that "there were several
challenges in terms of both design development
and administrative ones", which were successfully
overcome by the enthusiastic band of 50 boys and
girls from various engineering and science disciplines
of IIT-Kanpur.
Jugnu cast such a spell on students that some
of them even shunned tempting job offers at the
peak of the IT boom, just to stay with the project,
recalls Prof Vyas. Some even quit lucrative jobs
to join the team. "Others like Shantanu Agarwal
opted for M.Tech after completing B.Tech to be
able to continue with the project," added
Vyas.
Vyas mentioned Shashank Chintalagiri, a young
physicist, as the mainstay of the project who
inspired others with his innovativeness and bold
approach, fixing problems as and when they arose,
besides Preneet from the physics stream, Kshitij
Deo (mechanical) and Anant Goyal.
Chintalagiri, elaborating on his experiences
as a project member, said:
"A nanosatellite is smaller but has the
same kind of functionality as a larger satellite
does. We were initially torn between ISRO's 'right
way' of doing things and a more practical approach
that we could fit in our small size and weight.
"Eventually, we decided to go ahead and
design our system, taking cues from other nanosatellites
built around the world. When we gave our system
a rough shape, only then did we compare it with
what ISRO would do on its own satellites and made
modifications accordingly.
"We would never have been able to achieve
the size reduction we did by blindly following
ISRO specifics, and ISRO themselves knew that
as well. We were able to combine technology used
in daily life . . . with the design principles
of space technology," Chintalagiri concluded.
Initially, only three students had volunteered
for the project begun in 2008 as part of the IIT-Kanpur
Golden Jubliee celebrations, in a bid to foster
space research capability among IITians and to
develop technology for nanosats. The current lot
included first year undergraduates to final year
post-graduates and 14 faculty heads from as many
disciplines to complete this challenging assignment.
Jugnu has started transmitting a beacon (blinking
signal) round the clock all over the earth. Amateur
frequency bands will be used for communication
so that the 'beacon' can be tracked by amateur
HAM (radio operators) around the world.
In fact HAM operators in Japan and the US have
already received signals from Jugnu, according
to sources in IIT-Kanpur. Messages sent to the
satellite from a ground station are "uplinked,"
while those transmitted from the satellite to
Earth are "downlinked." Jugnu operates
on 3.5 watts of power and is expected to have
a year-long life.
Jugnu will conduct remote sensing to map land
use and cover, agriculture, soils, forestry, city
planning, archaeological investigations, etc.
Jugnu is powered by rechargeable batteries relying
on solar panels, provided by ISRO, but the charging
circuitry was fabricated by IIT-Kanpur, Vyas said.
Normally it takes two hours to fully charge such
a battery, lasting from a few hours to a few days,
depending on the number of operations attempted
for the payloads.
"The primary purpose of Jugnu is to demonstrate
to the world as well as to ourselves that we are
quite capable of doing this," concluded Chintalagiri.
(IANS)
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