Meet the team that built lightest 3D printed satellite

Dubai - The experimental satellite Kalam Sat weighed just 64 grammes

A team of young scientists from Chennai, India was in Dubai recently to share their success story of creating the world's first 3D printed satellite, that was launched last year by a Nasa rocket.
The satellite named Kalam Sat, after the former Indian president Dr A. P .J Abdul Kalam and was built by students in the age group of 18-21 from Indian organisation called Space Kidz India. The team consisted of seven people from various parts of India led by Rifath Shaarook ( lead scientist of Space Kidz India), Tanishq Dwivedi (flight engineer); Vinay S. Bharadwaj (design engineer); Yagna Sai (lead technician); Mohammed Abdul Kashif (lead engineer); Gobinath (biologist) under the supervision of their mentor Dr Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India.
The experimental satellite Kalam Sat weighed just 64 grammes and was among the 80 models selected among 86,000 designs submitted by young contestants from 57 countries in the 'Cubes in Space' contest organised by Idoodle Learning in association with Nasa last year. It was made of reinforced carbon fibre with 3-D printing technology and it took the team over two-years to design the at a cost of Indian Rupees 100,000 (Dh5412).
Rifath said that the experimental satellite would capture and record temperature, radiation level, rotation buckling, magnetosphere and others before landing in the ocean.
Dr Kesan, who is a commerce graduate herself, said: "You do not need to be academically bright are have a science background to learn about space. All you need is passion to learn about it and a strong will to pursue your passion.
"My aim is to omit boundaries borders of the world and bring all the kids together from across the globe so that they can do something for the planet and not alone their country.
"People would mock at me and say what are you doing with these bunch of kids? But after Kalam Sat came they realised how much potential kids have and realsed that we shouldn't curb their ideas but nurture them. All students have different intelligence levels, different ideas and we need to train our teachers at school to test these kids differently based on their knowledge and passion. If we are able to mentor our kids that way then it can work wonders."
In Dubai, she said she wants to create a platform for creative kids and create more scientists for this country where kids themselves can make a satellite.
"We want government support and run competitions based on which we can pick children based on their passion here. We then want to make a simulation lab here for kids to experience space, start workshops here and bring in the most talented students together so they can do something for the country," Dr Kesan added.
Youngest scientist of the team, Rifath, who is a first year undergraduate student in Physics, said: "Instead of just seeing satellites and rockets we should try and make our own. Follow your passion, find it and follow it. Electronics is something that makes me happy and I will make this my profession."
saman@khaleejtimes.com
Known the satellite
Name : Kalam Sat
Weight: 64gm
Cost of designing: Dh5.412
Production time : 2 years

• Dubai