- The Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch a satellite — Kalamsat, which has been prepared by Indian students and a private organisation, Space Kidz India.
- The communication satellite is planned for launch on Thursday (24 January) at 11:37 PM.
- According to ISRO, Kalamsat is world’s lightest and first 3D printed satellite.
The designers of the satellite work with a private organisation that deals in science and innovation — Space Kidz India. The startup organisation has also laid plans on creating another satellite — Vikramsat — that could be used for biological experiments in space.
The communication satellite is planned for launch on Thursday (24 January) at 11:37 PM, along with MicrosatR — an imaging satellite for Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, ISRO tweeted. Kalamsat will span over two months.
🇮🇳 #ISROMissions 🇮🇳#PSLVC44 to launch #Kalamsat and #MicrosatR from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on January 24. Kalamsat is a student payload while Microsat-R is an imaging satellite.
Stay tuned for updates. pic.twitter.com/cbYzkR4s7n
🇮🇳 #ISROMissions 🇮🇳
Countdown for the launch of #PSLVC44 started today at 19:37 (IST) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The launch is scheduled tomorrow at 23:37 (IST).
Updates will continue.#Kalamsat#MicrosatR
According to ISRO, Kalamsat is world’s lightest (1.26 kgs) and first 3D-printed satellite and the launch will be first to use rocket to experiment in space.
The satellite was built in just six days with in overall investment of nearly ₹1.2 million. However, it took nearly six years for the satellite-makers to understand the technology and its working, NDTV reported.
Earlier, a smaller version of Kalamsat — which means ‘gulab jamun’ — weighed just 64 grams — was launched in India by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (
See also:
India responds to China-Pakistan satellite launch with its own border surveillance satellites
2018 was a remarkable year for India’s space agency ISRO—Here were the top 5 successful missions
India successfully places the 'Angry Bird' satellite into orbit