Space balloon to be launched tomorrow Olympic Run in Vijayawada tomorrow

Vijayawada: A high-altitude balloon will be launched to create awareness of Space and Space exploration by Usha Rama Engineering College in collaboration with Space Kidz India in Vijayawada on Sunday.

Disclosing the details to the media here on Friday, College Principal Dr GVKSV Prasad said that the field of space exploration and related sciences is rapidly growing and holds immense potential for the future. It was crucial that they inspire the younger generation to pursue careers in these fields and equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel, he added. He further informed that as part of their vision to make Space accessible and economical, they provide hands-on experience for students through the high-altitude balloon satellites and nano-satellites and promote space education among the youth of the nation.

A team of 25 students was trained for one week in Space Sciences & Technology, Nano Satellites and Embedded Systems with hands-on experience in building payload and its subsystems. A ground station for telemetry & tracking of the payload capsule is set up by the students in the college. The payload is a mass of 2 kg, designed to carry out upper atmospheric Research & Radio communication experiments.

The launch is scheduled for 10 am. Once the balloon is launched, the total expected flight time is about three hours. The whole flight will be tracked and will be retrieved by the student team, he stated.

Principal Prasad said that Space Kidz India is an Indian Aerospace Startup pioneering in the design, fabrication, and launch of small satellites, spacecraft, and ground systems. With 7 years of experience, they have launched 18 balloon satellites, two suborbital payloads, and four orbital satellites, he informed.