Odisha man and eight-member team builds a private satellite

Gurudatta Panda, a 28-year-old from Odisha’s Berhampur, is part of a small team of technocrats that built a satellite for a private satellite design, manufacturing and management company.

The eight-member team, including Mr. Panda, from Hyderabad-based Exseed Space Private Limited has constructed 10 cm cube-sized communication satellite, which will be launched into space by the United States-based SpaceX in November. Sources said, this small communication satellite has been constructed a cost of less than Rs. 20 lakh.

Mr. Panda said the small satellite will carry a linear transponder on FM for voice communication, The Hindu reported. Last phase tests of the satellite are being conducted. He claimed this is the first of its kind private space endeavour.

“This satellite will serve the ham or the amateur radio community. As a result, it will be of great help during natural calamities, when conventional communication services get disrupted,” he said.

After the launch, this artificial satellite will be on a polar orbit with two passes over India everyday. The public will be able to receive this artificial satellite’s beacon on 145.90 Mhz using a TV tuner and USB dongles, Mr. Panda added.

Mr. Panda, a ham radio enthusiast, helped in communication through his ham set-up when cyclone Phailin hit Ganjam district in 2013. He hoped that more youngsters from Odisha get interested in aerospace technology, an emerging field of development in the country.

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