Pune. 02 Apri, 2016. ISRO will very soon launch a satellite named Swayam, designed and built by students of College of Engineering in Pune. Itis a bi-directional communication platform, which will orbit the Earth at a height of 500-800 km.
The satellite weighs one kg and has dimensions of 10 cm X 10 cm X 11.35 cm. The communication has to be in one direction at a time. A device like walkie-talkie is an example of half-duplex communication. Thus, the satellite will be useful in improving communication in rural areas.
The satellite has been handed over to ISRO and is scheduled to have a mission life of at least six months after the launch. According to the college website, the Swayam project team of about 40 members has students of all years and from different branches. All the work has been done by the students with assistance from the faculty members.
The Swayam project was initiated by a group of students in late 2008, and it was officially approved by the institute in 2009. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between College of Engineering and ISRO on May 23, 2013, for the development and launch of Swayam. The flight model along with all environmental tests for the satellite was completed in February 2015.
