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Andhra Pradesh, Telangana fail to avail Isro's help for their students

Isro has been giving guidance and even some critical components to students for developing satellites.

Nellore: Though India’s Space Port is located at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh for more than four decades, no college or university in the state or neighbouring Telangana took any interest in encouraging students to develop a satellite. Nor did the Space Port make a try this way.

However, educational institutions in neighbouring Tamil Nadu as well as some other states have been making use of Isro at their initiative. Isro has been giving guidance and even some critical components to students for developing satellites.

Expressing concern over lack of interest among educational institutions, Planetary Society of India founder secretary and director N. Sriraghunandankumar called upon the Chief Ministers of AP and TS to take the initiative to nurture Space scientists from both the Telugu-speaking states.

Pointing to AP’s efforts to construct the new capital with help from Singapore, he said Singapore had launched their six satellites with the help of Isro from Shar but unfortunately we are not taking advantage of the facility to infuse scientific temper and develop the abilities of our own student community. Those at the Space Port too do not take any interest on their own in wooing the student community, and function in a bureaucratic style.

Universities and institutions can venture into Space technology on-orbit with guidance and support from Isro, said group director for management systems area P. Vijayasaradhy. He said they are ready to assist any university or college interested in developing satellites.

According to Vijayasaradhy, every satellite carries a payload that performs the intended function to achieve the mission goal and the main bus that supports the payload function.

The development of payloads may comprise detectors, electronics and associated algorithms, which can be an experimental piggyback payload on the Isro’s ongoing (small or operatio-nal) satellite projects.

Design and development of detectors, payload electronics and associated algorithm/experiments that enhance the application of Space services to mankind is a continuing R&D activity in several educational institutions around the world.

Educational institutions can propose the payloads developed by them to be flown on Isro’s small satellites, Vijayasaradhy said. Director of Isro’s Satellite Application Centre (ISAC) in Bengaluru Mylaswamy Annadurai said educational institutes can approach them with their proposals. Under this option, more than one university/institution may participate. One among them will be the focal point for the Isro.

After launch, the collected data will be archived and disseminated by university/institution, he said.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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