ANU sets sights on sky, to track satellite

The varsity plans to track satellites in limited range

ANU Vice-Chancellor K. Viyyanna Rao at the Satellite Data Analysis and Application Centre, in Guntur on Saturday. Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar

After obtaining the Centre of Excellence status from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its Satellite Data Analysis and Application Centre, Acharya Nagarjuna University is now planning to establish a ground station to track movement of satellites within a limited range.

Planning big

This would be followed by efforts to work on designing and constructing picosatellites -- miniature satellites mostly below 10 kg weight which are specifically used for a particular application.

All these plans are part of the measures to promote space research and satellite data analysis among students, irrespective of their fields.

“We are thankful for ISRO to sanction centre of excellence status for the centre besides allotting Rs.29.95 lakh for establishing computer work stations, software packages, satellite data products and other equipment. On our part, we would be spending Rs.75 lakh for dedicated 1 Gbps line and other facilities,” said ANU Vice-Chancellor K. Viyyanna Rao here on Saturday.

Project report

A detailed project report would be prepared for establishing the ground station and lab for picosatellites. While technical assistance would be taken from ISRO, funding will be an issue and different organisations have to cooperate, he said.

Established in June last year, the Centre has identified 11 areas like coastal line monitoring, identification of minerals, fishing zones, etc., which need to be studied and reports prepared using satellite data provided by ISRO.

Out of these, the ISRO authorities had suggested research on land use pattern in the region, cropping pattern, soil moisture etc and in a few days, a detailed report would be prepared on these subjects and submitted to the government, said Dr. P. Siddaiah, principal, University College of Engineering and Technology, ANU.

The data analysis will be immensely useful for the government to plan and execute infrastructural projects, besides helping students in conducting research and promising a good career, he said.

Now that Thullur region is in focus for capital construction, a requisition would be made to ISRO to provide more data and satellite images of the region for conducting a study on soil pattern, identification of water bodies, urbanisation, agriculture pattern etc.

A report would be sent to government as well, he added. University Registrar P. Rajasekhar spoke on the occasion.