ISRO to launch Space Kidz India satellite made by 750 children on Friday aboard SSLV-D2 rocket

According to an ISRO report, IN-Space has received more than 150 proposals for future consideration from start-ups, MSMEs, and industries. (File image: Reuters)

Space Kidz India, a Chennai-based space tech startup is slated to launch their satellite made by 750 girls studying in government schools across the country aboard an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launch vehicle on February 10.

The satellite will be aboard ISRO's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D2) which will launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 9.18 am on February 10.

Space Kidz India selected 10 girl students from 75 government schools across the country for this mission. "The selected students are predominantly from class VIII to XII," Space Kidz India's website said.

The payloads of this mission aboard SSLV-D2 include a LoRa transmitter. LoRA is a physical proprietary radio communication technique. It also includes a solid-state radiation sensor, 75-student experiments and expandable structure.

The main objectives of AzaadiSat is to demonstrated amateur radio communication capabilities; to measure radiation levels in space using the new solid-state sensor; to measure various health data like temperature etc and to demonstrate expandable satellite structure.

Lumina Datamatics has partnered with Space Kidz India in this regard, and the project is also supported by Niti Aayog.

Last year, Space Kidz's payloads were onboard Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-S launch vehicle, the first Indian private rocket to launch into space.

Space Kidz's payloads on Vikram S too were made by students. The payload, FunSAT, consisted of 80 experiments conducted by 160 students from India, the United States, Indonesia and other countries.

The startup intends to begin commercial operations and raise funds next year.