Vikko Sat-1:
In an impressive display of scientific skill, 13 students from the Class XI batch of Ariyakudi Government Higher Secondary School in Tamil Nadu’s Sivagangai district have successfully launched a 600 gram mini satellite named Vikko Sat-1.
- It is a mini satellite.
- It was developed by a group of students from the Class XI batch of Ariyakudi Government Higher Secondary School in Tamil Nadu’s Sivagangai district.
- It was specifically designed to detect fungal spores in the stratosphere using five specialised sensors.
- These biological particles play a crucial role in agricultural health and environmental cycles, and their presence in the upper atmosphere can impact crops if they descend.
- By sending a compact device into the stratosphere via a helium balloon, the students aimed to collect real-time data that is often difficult to obtain through ground-based observations.
- The students developed the mini satellite themselves over a period of six months, equipping it with specialised adhesive surfaces to capture the samples.
- The mini satellite ascended to a height of 22 km, entering the stratosphere, which is the second layer of the atmosphere.
- At this altitude, the onboard sensors worked to identify how fungal spores behave in thinner air and lower temperatures.
- The payload was recovered intact after its descent, ensuring the air samples remained safe for analysis in the school’s control room.
