It is the only model selected from India to be launched by SR 4 rocket

For eighteen-year-old Md. Rifath Shaarook, who is awaiting his Plus Two results, a small room in his house situated in a narrow lane of Pallapatti in Karur district, is his space research station. He is not perturbed about his Plus Two results, which will be out on Friday. But his actions and thoughts centre around the “Femto” experimental satellite designed by him with a group of five other students.

The satellite that weighs just 64 grams was among 80 models selected among 86,000 designs submitted by young contestants belonging to 57 countries in the “Cubes in Space” contest organised by Idoodle Learning in association with NASA. The satellite is the only model selected from India to be launched into the sub-orbital space by SR 4 rocket.

The satellite is made of reinforced carbon fibre with 3-D printing technology. It took more than two-years for Shaarook and his team to design the less weight satellite using the 3-D printing technology at a cost of just ₹1 lakh.

“I am eagerly awaiting the launch of our satellite. It will be a big day for not only me but also for the aspiring space scientists,” says a beaming Shaarook, who lost his father Mohamed Farook when he was studying in Class-V at a government primary school in Pallapatti.

The satellite with sensors would carry out its mission from the moment of its launch.

It would be in sub-orbital spaceflight for 12 minutes and would then land back in the ocean.

It would capture and record temperature, atmosphere, radiation level, rotation buckling and magnetosphere, said Shaarook, who is a “lead scientist” in Chennai-based Space Kidz India, which is encouraging aspiring space students.

Vinay Bharadwaj, Tanishq Dwevdi, Yagnasai, Abdul Kashif and Gobi Nath were part of the team that designed the satellite.

Srimathy Kesan, Chief Executive Officer, Space Kidz India, Chennai, said that hard work, commitment and innovation of the team led by Rifath Shaarook had given a splendid recognition to young aspiring scientists. It would motivate other students too.

Ever since Shaarook revealed the selection of his satellite for the launch, his house in Pallapatti continues to get steady visitors. Moreover, Crescent Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Pallapatti, where he is now studying has also got congratulatory messages.

“Shaarook lost his father at a young age. However, the zeal that he inherited from his father has made him a young scientist,” says Shakila Banu, mother of Shaarook.