PuneethSat being developed by K'taka govt school students likely to be launched in March 2024

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Karnataka Science and Technolog y Minister NS Boseraju on Thursday said that Puneeth satellite being built with the participation of government school children is likely to be launched in March 2024.

He held a meeting with members of the Indian Technology Congress Association to review the progress of the satellite project named after late actor Puneeth Rajkumar at Vikasa Soudha.

The project is being implemented by ITCA under the aegis of Karnataka Science and Technology Promotion Society and Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology, thr Minister said in a statement.

He said training has been imparted to students on the CubeSat subsystems, and they are worki ng on developi ng t he secondary payload that is going to be carried on the PuneethSat.

Prototype evaluation boards of the CubeSat subsystems are currently undergoing validation, and changes suggested are being implemented. The ITCA team dis - played the prototype evaluation boards during the meeting.

ITCA is intending to offer the PuneethSat for launch in March 2 024, Boseraju said adding that he has instructed ITCA to coordinate with ISRO to get necessary approvals.

ITCA team noted that the development of Puneeth satellite by students of government schools in Karnataka will provide an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in building and launching satellites, which will cultivate interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects and inspire them to pursue careers in the field of space research and exploration, the statement said.