Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) witnessed the technology demonstrator flight of the advanced sounding rocket RH 200 near here, on Wednesday.
In a press release here, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the rocket was successfully launched at 3.50 p.m. and achieved its intended altitude of 60 km in 2 minutes.
ISRO said students from Vellore Institute of Technology University (VITU) had developed part of the payload in the flight “as a co-passenger,” with the guidance of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). The students' payload comprised tri-axial accelerometers, power switching module and safe arm relay unit matching the requirements of RH 200 rocket.
The tri-axial accelerometers can monitor accelerations in all three directions. The power switching module is for the power control of the payload. “The faculty and students of VITU has taken keen interest during the development and test activities of this payload at various work centres,” ISRO said.
“The students of the Indian Institute of Space Technology in Thiruvananthapuram are also progressing fast in their attempt to make the first indigenous students' rocket with the support of experts from the VSSC. In its continued endeavour to handhold the student community, ISRO has included a picosatellite designed by undergraduate students across India in its forthcoming PSLV-C15 mission. The major objective of this project is to provide hands-on experience in frontier areas of space technology such as the design, fabrication and realisation of a space mission at a reduced cost,” ISRO said.
